


Rise of a Royal Ranger

by ChibiDawn23



Category: Power Rangers, Power Rangers Dino Charge
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-05
Updated: 2020-04-10
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:47:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 35
Words: 68,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23487052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChibiDawn23/pseuds/ChibiDawn23
Summary: Prince Philip III of Zandar fights a battle on two fronts, one as the ruler of Zandar, and one as a Power Ranger. "How does one prove oneself worthy to a gem?" It takes courage, self-discovery, and good friends on both sides. Philip's journey from spoiled royal to Graphite Ranger, before/during Dino Charge and beyond, with a little bit of international intrigue on the side.
Relationships: Tyler Navarro/Shelby Watkins
Comments: 29
Kudos: 14





	1. Chapter 1

_800 Years Ago_ …

_It was early morning. Birds sang in the trees and sunlight streamed through the branches to the forest floor. Prince Collin of Zandar and his guardian, Sir Ivan, Knight of Zandar, were atop their horses, going for an early morning ride._

_"I'm thirsty. Fetch me some water." Prince Collin commanded, as they rode next to the creek. Ivan immediately dismounted, tethering his horse to a nearby tree. He helped Prince Collin off his mount, reached into the saddlebag of his horse and retrieved the silver and black jeweled goblet that was the Prince's personal cup, then knelt down next to the creek. Collin perched on a rock, crossing his arms over his chest. He gave Ivan an impatient look. Ivan bent down and filled the goblet, then handed it to the prince. As Collin drank, Ivan sat down and dipped his hand into the creek. The water rushed cold, and he cupped his hand so that he could get his own sip of the water. As he did, something caught his eye. Something was glittering in the rushing water. Ivan reached into the stream and pulled out a shiny gold stone._

_"Give me that," Collin commanded. Sir Ivan held the stone out to the eight year old prince, who snatched it from his hand. "It is mine," Collin announced._

_"No, it's mine!" A great beast appeared. Ivan quickly took the stone back, and instantly drew his sword and charged it. It stood taller than he, some kind of great hairy beast. The hair was so thick he could not see its face. It carried a sword. Some kind of magical beast, then, if it carried a sword. Ivan's sword met his with a great clash of metal, and they fought into the trees. The battle was great as Prince Collin cowered behind the rock. Suddenly, the beast came charging out of the forest, headed straight for the prince's hiding spot. But Sir Ivan appeared, swinging wildly at him. The monster dodged the blow and knocked Sir Ivan's blade from his hand, sending his sword and the golden gem flying into the creek where it landed with a splash. The monster hit Sir Ivan in the chest with the flat part of his blade, stunning him and sending him staggering. Then, it set its' eyes on the prince. Ivan heard the boy cry out, somehow got to his feet and retrieved his sword. Then, he locked blades with the monster as it swung a killing blow at the young prince._

_As the two swords touched, there was a great flash of light…_

* * *

"And then Sir Ivan and the beast disappeared!"

Six year old Philip was on the edge of his seat, his eyes wide. " _Then_ what happened, Father?" he begged. He bounced up and down on the bed. "What happened to Sir Ivan?"

His father, King Philip II of Zandar, smiled and ruffled his hair. "No one knows," he admitted. "Prince Collin retrieved the golden gem and named it after our country-the Stone of Zandar. But Sir Ivan was never seen again." He glanced over at the clock above his son's bed. "And now, young man, it is time for you to go to bed."

"But-" Philip protested.

"No buts. Busy day tomorrow." His father kissed him on the forehead and got up from the four poster bed. "Sleep well, my son."

His father turned out the light before disappearing into the hall, but Philip stayed awake in the darkness, his eyes staring up at his ceiling. _Someday_ , he thought to himself, _I am going to be a hero, just like Sir Ivan!_

* * *

Two years later…

Prince Philip III of Zandar stood solemnly at his mother Irene's side, listening to the rain pound on the umbrella she was holding above their heads. The priest was saying something, but the words were blending in with the rain, and the hushed voices of the twenty or so reporters live on the scene, huddled just out of reach of the royal family. Philip's intense blue eyes, which no one else in the royal family possessed, were focused on the shiny black casket being laid into the hole in the ground. The man who had told Philip so many stories of heroes and villains, knights and castles, princesses and dragons, had died suddenly of a heart attack and was being laid to rest with a state funeral today.

His mother moved, and Philip felt himself being pulled along, her hand gripping his tightly. He let himself be led to the edge of the hole, and looked down. His mother must have dropped the rose, for it was the only color inside the wet hole, and it hadn't been there a moment ago. The rose hit the top of the casket and a few petals broke apart from the flower, lying out of place on top. He stared at them blankly.

Philip's mother Irene tapped him on the shoulder, and with the hand that wasn't holding his, handed him a rose as well. This one was white. White, like white hats and heroes. Philip looked for a moment at the flower, then dropped it to the muddy ground and squashed it with his toe. "No!" He yanked his hand from his mother's grip and disappeared into the throng of heads of state and close family friends.

Later, the news outlets would replay the scene of a heartbroken eight year old boy with the caption, "Young Prince Taking Loss of Father Hard."

Over the next few years, that heartbroken eight year old boy would be making headlines again, though not in the way a member of royalty was expected.


	2. Chapter 2

_Four Years Later…_

The gardens looked resplendent. White lights had been woven through the trees and bushes, giving the yard an ethereal glow. Fresh flowers adorned every surface, and a sparkling marble fountain gushed water in the air.

Annabeth Matthias was not impressed. She sat in her chair near the band, who was tuning up with something dully classical, an exceptionally bored look on her face. Her father, the Secretary of Zandarian Antiquities, had dragged her along this evening against her wishes. She was making no attempt to be social, and her father had finally given up. He was over chatting up the Queen of Zandar. Annabeth rolled her eyes. If this was how the evening was going to go, she just might go jump in the lake.

"Enjoying yourself?" someone asked her, and Annabeth turned to see Philip III standing in front of her. The twelve-year-old prince and future heir to the throne of Zandar was eyeing her, dressed in a dark gray suit jacket and pants. One shirttail of his white undershirt was hanging out of his belt, and his tie was hanging loosely around his neck. He also had an amusing cowlick in the back of his hair, which was otherwise perfectly coiffed.

"Not even a little," Annabeth replied. She frowned. "You look as if you just rolled out of bed."

Philip pointed above her head. "Out of that tree, actually. I hate these stupid state dinners. There's never anyone here my age and everyone else is too busy with their own agendas to pay any attention." He grinned, and pulled his jacket back so Annabeth could see the sling shot tucked in his pants. "So I make my own fun. Care to join me?"

She smiled. "I would love to," she said, getting up and following him into the bushes.

* * *

The two spent the rest of the evening terrorizing the guests. By the second acorn nailing the Secretary of Education in the back of the head, Annabeth's father forcibly escorted her from the party (kicking and screaming) and Philip was remanded to the castle for the rest of the evening.

The two became best friends, despite their parents' attempts to keep them apart. Annabeth's father told Irene that Philip was a bad influence. Irene informed the Secretary of Antiquities that his daughter was no longer invited to any other state functions because of her poor attitude.

Meanwhile, Philip and Annabeth spent their American-equivalent of middle school years causing trouble, so much so that Irene eventually pulled Philip from school and hired a private tutor.

But with the invent of social media, it didn't keep the two apart.

* * *

_Six years later…_

Philip knew the paparazzi was watching, and he intended to give them a show. Dressed in only a pair of Speedo swim briefs, he and two of his friends were walking down the beach in Monaco. Philip had a German lager in his hands and a young university student from Italy on his arm. They were halfway down the beach, headed for their oceanside hotel when suddenly, someone stepped up next to Philip and practically yanked the Italian brunette from his arms. Philip was slightly buzzed by this point, but it still took him by surprise. "Excuse me!" he protested. "What do you-"

The blonde smirking back at him was in a skimpy black bikini, her hair falling loose around her shoulders. She'd obviously been tanning prior to the spring break holiday, because she was very dark. Her eyes were framed by Oakley sunglasses, but Philip was pretty sure that if he pulled them away, they would be brown. "Annabeth?" he gasped.

She tugged off her sunglasses and chewed on the bow. "Hi Philip," she chirped. "Fancy meeting you here." She took his alcohol from his hand and took a sip. "That's pretty good. You should buy me one."

"Your father will have kittens if he sees us together in the papers," Philip warned her.

Annabeth's response was to turn to the cameras she knew were hidden along the boardwalk, and wave, slipping her arm into Philip's. "Do I look like I care?" she purred. Philip's two friends oohed and wolf whistled.

"I doubt it," Philip replied. He looked around. "Annabeth…isn't this a topless beach?"

She looked up at him and winked, then turned so her back was to him. She lifted her hair. "Do the honors?"

* * *

Philip's face was plastered all over the tabloids throughout Europe, with a blurred out Annabeth next to him. The people of Zandar started getting nervous. This was the man that was coming of age to take the throne from his mother? This playboy was going to rule their country? Some used the excuse that this was what happened if a young man didn't have a father to emulate. Some hoped he'd grow out of it. Most of the polls figured he wouldn't, and that the country was doomed.

And Philip didn't seem to care. A few weeks later, the announcement ran that he had asked Annabeth to marry him. There was an official statement from the Queen stating that they were busy with the upcoming nuptials and they looked forward to welcoming Annabeth officially into the family.

There was no comment from the Secretary of Zandarian Antiquities.


	3. Chapter 3

_Six months later…_

When the Royal Physician's phone number appeared on Philip's cell, he answered it instantly. " _Sire, it's your mother_ ," she was telling him. " _Her results came back…and they aren't good."_

Philip let the phone fall to the bed as he looked over at Annabeth's sleeping form. He could hear the physician calling his name, but his hands were shaking too much to pick up the phone. Finally, he heard the click on the other end indicating she had hung up the phone.

He touched Annabeth's shoulder. "Anna," he whispered. "Wake up."

She mumbled something and rolled over. Philip got up slowly from the bed, his mind in a daze. He went to the hotel room door and opened it, with the chain lock still on. "We are going home. Today."

The man in the suit-Philip didn't remember his name- nodded an acknowledgement, and Philip closed the door again. No doubt they would also be receiving the same news shortly. Philip went into the closet and began throwing his few things into his bag. The noise woke Annabeth, who sat up on the king size bed blinking in confusion. "Philip?" she asked. "What's happening?"

"We're going back to Zandar," he told her. "My mother…her outlook isn't promising." He snapped his suitcase shut. "We're leaving today."

"Today?" Annabeth blinked. "But, Philip, we didn't get-"

He wasn't ceasing in his packing, and Annabeth gave up. She got out of bed and walked over to him, wrapping her arms around him from behind. The contact made his eyes tear up, and he sagged to the floor, Annabeth guiding him to the carpet as he cried.

* * *

The entire twelve-hour plane ride back to Zandar, he stared out the window. Annabeth had been watching the in-flight movies in first class most of the way. A few times, she'd tried to engage him in conversation, but that had been a pointless endeavor.

Philip was watching the sun rise somewhere over Dubai. Remembering, odd memories like his father telling him the story of Sir Ivan and Prince Collin. Of his father teaching him to ride a horse. His mother and he baking together in the kitchen. The three of them together in London, his first official state visit that he could remember. Riding on the London Eye as the sun went down. Going on a river cruise of the Seine in Paris, seeing the Eiffel Tower from the banks all lit up.

_All this time I had to spend with them. Father was taken when I was young, but Mother…I had all this time with her, and what have I been doing with my life?_

Wasting it.

The word bounced around in his head, echoed around the inside of the wide body jet. Annabeth was the only thing he was sure of, even if her father was less than impressed with their engagement. His mother, at least, she was supportive, even if she didn't approve. Annabeth's father had practically gone into hiding.

The sun rose higher and he finally forced himself to turn away so he wouldn't go blind. Annabeth was sleeping in the seat next to him, an airline-provided mask over her eyes.

 _I've been such an idiot_ , he though to himself, staring at the seat in front of him. _The moment we land…that will change_.

* * *

_One month later…_

The gardens reminded Philip of the night that he'd met Annabeth, which was appropriately fitting. He fiddled with his gray bow tie.

"Stop that," a quiet voice chided him, and he looked over to his mother, being wheeled into the room in her wheelchair by Giles, one of the chauffeurs. That had been Philip's idea for her to have her own driver, and his mother had laughed. It was one of the best sounds he'd heard.

"Mother," Philip said. "How are you feeling?"

She closed her eyes and smiled as Philip kissed her cheek. "Happy," she said, breathlessly. She held his face inbetween her hands for a moment. "You look so handsome," she told him. "Like your father on our wedding day."

"I wish he was here," Philip confessed.

"As I do, every day," Irene responded. "But you….look at you." She smiled warmly. "Philip, I don't know what the difference is-well, I can hazard a guess-in your behavior the past month but I have never been prouder of you." There was a moment of pause as she took a few deep breaths. "The man I see before me, no matter his past...will be a fine ruler for Zandar."

There was a polite cough, and Philip got to his feet as he turned to see Martin, one of his security detail, tap his watch. "It's time, sir," he said.

Philip looked up at Giles. "I have this, Giles," he said, and Giles stepped back and Philip took his place behind the handlebars of his mother's chair and pushed her out into the garden. He wheeled her right up to the front of the aisle and kissed her again, then went to take his place at the altar.

The photos of him kissing his mother made headlines, and ran in more papers than the actual photo of him and his new bride.

* * *

_Two days later…_

He wanted to run again, but he couldn't make his feet move. The only differences between this funeral and his father's were the sunshine instead of the rain…and it was Annabeth's hand in his rather than his mother's.

The priest looked at him, and Philip forced his body forward, a single white rose in his hand. He stood over the edge of the grave and let the flower fall to the silver casket.

 _I will make you proud of me_ , he promised silently. _I swear it_.


	4. Chapter 4

_Three years later…_

The numbers were starting to blur together on the page. Philip blinked and rubbed his face with his hands. Sunlight streamed in behind him, making the budget report on his desk glow in the afternoon sun, and the antique oak wood was way too warm.

Philip hadn't been ready for the mundane tasks such as confirming budget reports. He'd been expecting his job as Prince of Zandar to be a hair more exciting.

No matter how hard he tried, it seemed as though he couldn't make anyone happy. Whoever had said, "You can't please 100% of the people 100% of the time" had clearly been ruling a country. As a result, when criticism came his way, he tended to revert back to his twelve and eighteen-year old selves.

He was _trying_. He hadn't had anyone to show him how to be a king. Which is why he refused to be one in title. In fact, he'd pitched a little boy tantrum until the council voted to let him retain his title as Prince instead of King. There was only one King, and it had been his father.

And he wasn't a good enough man to fill his father's shoes.

There was a buzz, and he looked at the intercom on his telephone. "Sire?" the voice of his personal assistant, Margaret, asked.

He yawned. "Yes, Margaret?" he said, hoping she hadn't caught the yawn.

"Sire, the Secretary of Antiquities is here."

The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Annabeth's _father_ was here? The man hadn't spoken to Philip in more than an official capacity since he had taken the throne two and a half years ago. And there was nothing he needed to discuss with the Secretary of Antiquities. "Annabeth isn't here," he told Margaret. "She's in Paris for the weekend."

He was glad for it. More and more he was realizing…marrying Annabeth had been a mistake. She represented everything in his past that he was trying to bury. She didn't take her duties seriously-she had missed a visit at the capital's Children's Hospital just the other day. When Philip had confronted her about it (after a _very_ irate hospital director had reamed him out for an hour), she told him she'd simply forgotten about it, but the photos of her in the fashion district suggested otherwise.

Philip had hardly seen her in the past few months. Much of it was him being tied up at the office, but even when they were both at home, they weren't together. Their fights had become legendary, so much so that the paparazzi had taken a poll as to where their next meltdown would be.

"Yes, sir," Margaret replied. "He isn't here to see his daughter. He is here to talk with you."

 _Wonderful_. He closed his eyes. "Send him in," he said. He was not in the mood to deal with whatever this man was going to say, not on a day that had been consumed with budgetary decisions. The country had money, a lot of it, and he was only just realizing how many things required it. And how much of it he had squandered on trips to Monte Carlo and Santorini.

The heavy oak door opened and in stepped Margaret, formally introducing Samuel Matthias, the graying Secretary of Zandarian Antiquities into his office. Philip didn't bother to get up. "Your Highness," Matthias said formally, not bothering to hide the contempt in his voice.

 _Yes. This is going to be a great meeting_. "Mr. Secretary," Philip inclined his head. "To what do I owe this visit?"

Matthias crossed the deep red carpet and threw a letter on his desk. Philip shot him a Look with his intense blue eyes. "What is this?" he asked, trying to stay professional. He picked up his letter opener and slit it open. The postmark, to his surprise, was from the United States. He pulled out a letter on gray stationery.

_To the Royal Family of Zandar and Prince Philip III,_

_We are formally submitting a request to have the Amber Beach History Museum included as a stop on the tour of the Zandarian Antiquities. Our Museum is consistently ranked high in visitor satisfaction and we routinely pass our inspections in handling and displaying our artifacts._

_To have the Treasures of Zandar displayed at our museum would be educational for all age groups. To this end, we will dedicate an entire wing to the treasures and you may designate the length of visit as you see fit. We will also provide board for your security team accompanying the artifacts._

_Thank you for your time,_

_Kendall Morgan  
Museum Director_

Philip raised his eyes above the paper to Matthias. "The treasures of Zandar are due back in country at the end of this week. They have been on tour for the past year and a half." And he'd had a hard time parting with them for that long. There was something about the Stone of Zandar, the main piece of the exhibit, the stone Sir Ivan had found in that little creek 800 years ago. Philip didn't like the idea of it being out of his sight and guard. It had been like pulling teeth to get him to agree to it. Annabeth had persuaded him in the end, citing the educational value, and the opportunity to market their country to the world.

Now he was beginning to wonder if her and her father hadn't been in on it together.

"Indeed, Sire," Matthias agreed. "However, the reviews on this museum are spectacular, and it is in California, which is a large state and the possibilities for market-" Philip raised an eyebrow and Matthias hastily amended, "-for educational purposes about our country and history, are immense." He pointed to the paper. "Sire, I strongly encourage you to accept their terms and let the treasures stay out on tour just a bit longer."

Philip shook his head. "I'm afraid your request is being denied," he told Matthias. "I simply cannot allow them to be out of our sight for a moment longer."

"Prince Philip-"

Philip stood. "That is my official response, Mr. Secretary. You are dismissed."

Matthias opened his mouth as if he was going to respond, but Philip fixed him with a cold stare, and the secretary shut his mouth, spun on his heel, and marched out of the office. The door slammed behind him.

"Impressive," Philip muttered. "That door is heavy." He sat down in his seat again and threw the letter on the desktop.

* * *

Outside, Margaret jerked as Samuel Matthias came storming out of the office. He blew right past her and disappeared out into the main hall, leaving her very confused. She thought about checking in with Philip to make sure he was still alive, but she didn't need to. Two seconds later, Philip's voice came over the intercom. "Margaret. No more visitors today, please."

She had figured that. "Sire, does that extend to _all_ visitors?" Margaret queried tactfully. She wouldn't have been a good personal assistant if she hadn't noticed the tension between husband and wife.

After a moment, Philip replied, "All visitors please, Margaret. And would you grab me some water?"

"Of course, sir." She paused. "Is everything all right?" she asked.

Another moment of pause. "Fine, Margaret," Philip's tired voice responded. "Absolutely fine."

She also wouldn't have been a good personal assistant if she hadn't known when he was lying.


	5. Chapter 5

_A few days later…_

Margaret's heels clicked on the parquet floor as she sprinted down the grand hall. Her Bluetooth headset was threatening to fall out of her ear and she reached up and yanked it out in a swift motion, tucking it into her blouse pocket. She blew past the security guard standing outside her office and flew inside. She didn't bother to announce herself as she threw open the thick door to Prince Philip's office.

Philip and Annabeth, who had only moments before been arguing-again (lately, it seemed to be a daily occurrence)- both turned in alarm at the interruption.

"What in the-" Annabeth was cut off by Philip holding a hand in the air.

"Margaret," he said carefully, "I trust that you have a good explanation for your behavior?"

She nodded breathlessly. "Sire, there is something you both should see." She reached for the remote and flipped on the 36-inch flatscreen bolted to the wall above the fireplace. It was a live feed on some mindless gossip network from the United States. The anchor was sitting to the left of a screen cap of a gray concrete and glass building, narrating:

" _The stone of Zandar exhibit has its grand opening tomorrow. Rumor has it the Zandarian prince will be making a rare public appearance with his bride, wearing the Stone of Zandar itself."_

Philip stepped closer to the television, studying the wording on the side of the building. AMBER BEACH HISTORY MUSEUM. His eyes widened. A second photo replaced the establishing shot of the museum. This one was of two young people, who couldn't have been older than Philip, if that. The girl had mocha skin and dark eyes. Her hair was done up in a tight twist and she wore a small black hat with netting that covered the top third of her face.

"Is that _my_ tiara?" Annabeth fumed, catching sight of the silver and gold ornament on top of her head, but Philip was more interested in what was around the girl's neck.

Nestled between her collarbones was a golden stone on a necklace with golden feathers. The Stone of Zandar.

Philip's jaw dropped. He looked at Annabeth, furious. "Margaret," he said, trying to keep a civil tongue, "please inform the Secretary of Antiquities that I want him in my office _yesterday_!"

Margaret looked at Annabeth. "Yes, sir," she said, turning on her heel and disappearing back into the outer office.

This was not going to be a happy visit, that was certain.

* * *

Philip rounded on Annabeth. "Did you know about this?" he demanded. Annabeth's eyes narrowed and she moved to protest, but Philip grabbed her arm. "I know how thick you and your father are. You knew about this, didn't you?"

"Of _course_ not!" Annabeth shouted. "Do you think I'd willingly let some…some… _woman_ wear my tiara?"

"Not about the newscast!" Philip barked. "That your father left the treasures out on tour after I specifically informed him to bring them home!"

"I don't have any idea what my father does when he is at work!" Annabeth shot back. "He doesn't discuss his business with me!"

"I'm sure he doesn't," Philip said furiously. He pointed to the door. "Out. Get out."

She glared at him. "Ex _cuse_ me?"

"I need to speak to your father alone," he told her. "I will see you for supper this evening."

She shook her head. "No," she growled. "You won't." With that, she brushed past him and out the door, leaving him standing in the middle of the room.

* * *

Samuel Matthias had the audacity to come strolling into Philip's office like he owned the place, adding to Philip's already sour temperament. "Your Highness wished to see me?" Matthias asked.

Philip turned on the television, replaying the DVR'd news clip from Glitz World. "I don't suppose you know something about this?" he asked, sarcasm practically dripping from each syllable.

Samuel Matthias adopted a defensive pose, his arms crossed over his chest. "As the Secretary of Antiquities, I have a vested interest in the traveling exhibit. That exhibit is bringing in much-needed publicity and tourists to our country. In the past year alone, 75% of visitors surveyed at the airport have said they've come because of the exhibit. Therefore, I felt it was in our best interest to…extend their visit."

"In _whose_ best interest?" Philip growled. " _Yours_ , Secretary Matthias?" He pointed to the screen. "Perhaps you can explain why our most famous national treasure is around the neck of some female impersonating your daughter?"

Matthias clearly hadn't seen the clip. He studied the frozen photo. But then, his face turned back to passive, and he said smoothly, "Sire, had I known-"

"Had you _known_?" Philip exploded. "Secretary, I believe in our _meeting_ a few days ago that I specifically gave you an order to bring the exhibit home, and now I find that their stay in America has been extended?"

Matthias was a lovely shade of white and red, and Philip could see sweat forming on his brow. "Secretary Matthias," he said, speaking deliberately, "you are _dismissed_ from your position as Secretary of Zandarian Antiquities as of this moment." He pointed to the door. "Get. Out. Of my office."

Matthias glared at him. "You will regret this, Philip," he said, no longer feeling the need to use Philip's official title.

"I doubt that very much," Philip hissed back. "Get out."

* * *

Margaret watched Samuel Matthias slouch his way out of her office and into the great hall. He said nothing, but he was sweating profusely. Something had happened in that office. Prince Philip followed on his heels. "Margaret, tell the staff to prepare the jet. I am leaving for Amber Beach, California, immediately."

She looked at him. "Sir?"

He looked back at her. "I have some precious cargo that needs to be returned to our kingdom."


	6. Chapter 6

Philip had never been to the United States. His parents had gone a couple of times but he'd been too young to travel with them. Once they'd gotten off the plane in San Francisco it was about a three hour drive by limo to the smaller city of Amber Beach. California was beautiful, and Philip would have appreciated it more had he not been so furious.

The museum was easy to find. It was one of the largest buildings in the town. The limousine pulled up alongside the curb, and Philip didn't even bother waiting for Giles to open the door. He threw open the door and stepped out, barely meeting his two security guards on the sidewalk as he strode briskly into the museum. Once inside, Philip could hear voices echoing through the corridors, and he followed the sounds to a large atrium with floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlooking a neatly-combed botanical garden. A blonde woman with glasses was standing at the podium, fielding questions from the press. Philip spotted the glass display case next to the window, where the Stone of Zandar sat, glittering in the sunlight-much as it probably had been 800 years ago when Sir Ivan had first discovered it.

His entrance had not gone unnoticed. Several members of the press turned and began whispering, then shouting when they realized who he was. He snapped his fingers at one of his security men. "Collect the treasures." If there was one thing he still knew how to do, it was give the press a show.

"What's going on?" a young man in a red raglan t-shirt was asking, looking at Philip in confusion.

The woman from the podium strode over to them purposefully. "Excuse me, I'm the museum director," she informed him. "What do you think you're doing?" she demanded.

Philip fixed her with an icy stare. "I'm taking what belongs to me." He was absolutely livid and had had almost a full day on a plane to work up enough frustration. The extension of the treasures to her museum may not have been her fault, but the Stone of Zandar had been out of its case and made into a piece of jewelry. _That_ he could blame on the museum personnel.

And _then_ , Philip had seen the news mid-transit about an attack at the museum. He had heard of America's famed Power Rangers heroes, but the fact that the Stone of Zandar had been taken-although retrieved, from the looks of it-meant that there had been a serious breach of security.

A young man in a green sweater vest crossed his arms over his chest. "No that's impossible, these belong to the royal fam-" He broke off midsentence and recognition dawned. "Oh…"

Philip glared at him. "Starting to get the picture, are we? Allow me to introduce myself. I am Prince Philip III of Zandar. The _real_ Prince. Unlike the impostors I saw on television." A young woman had come to stand next to the gentleman in red, and now it was Philip's turn to have recognition dawn. "Wait a moment." He turned his eyes to the two of them and watched them shrink in surprise. "This is _you_ two, isn't it?" he demanded, holding up a magazine cover from the day before. The two of them were staring at themselves, dressed as the supposed Prince and Princess of Zandar.

"Uh…" was all the young woman could say, and she turned to the man in red for help.

Philip followed her eyes, studying the young man. He shook his head. "It's a wonder anyone mistook you for a prince," he said, and now the man in red's eyes narrowed. Before he could speak, someone put a hand on Philip's shoulder and he whirled around to see another young man standing behind him. This one had shaggy, shoulder-length black hair, a blue t-shirt with no sleeves, and denim shorts. He wore no shoes. He was holding a half-eaten apple in his hand.

"We mean no disrespect," the new arrival said, in halting English.

Philip cocked his head and looked at him. "And what would _you_ know about respect?" He gave the young man a once over. "Look at you," he said. He plucked a leaf from Koda's hair. "Filthy. And shoeless. Where you born in a cave?

The man in blue shook his head. "No, born on mammoth hunt. Mother could not make it home to cave." Koda offered him the apple. "Want some?"

Philip wrinkled his nose and brushed past the man in blue, bumping him in the shoulder. He looked at the pull-down banner of Sir Ivan up on the stage. "A knight's bravery is what makes this stone a legend." He glared daggers at the six people staring in openmouthed shock at him. "How _dare_ you touch it. None of you are worthy." He spun on his heel so quickly, security had to struggle to keep up with his long strides.

* * *

The scenery sped by but Philip was more interested in what was in his hand. He stared at the three-inch long stone he held between his thumb and forefinger. The ends were a striking silver, but the middle was a liquid gold. The stone seemed to glitter with its' own light.

 _The Stone of Zandar_. He had never actually seen it out of its' case. His country's most precious treasure, an 800-year old symbol of one man's bravery and loyalty.

And it was in his hand. His words echoed in his head, the ones he had yelled at the museum staffers. _None of you are worthy_. The stone seemed to blink back at him, as if to say, _And what have_ you _done to earn the honor?_

He tucked it into his pocket and turned his eyes out the tinted window.

As the limousines traveled down the highway, suddenly, something hit the back of the armored vehicle with great force, throwing Philip forward in his seat. Giles swerved, and the road got rougher. They must have pulled off onto a side road. The limo halted quickly and Philip was thankful for the lap belt holding him on the seat. Outside, he heard someone yell. "Protect the prince!"

"Dressed for their own funerals," he heard a voice growl from the road. It could have been a man…except that there was an undertone of something…almost like an animal.

Philip heard the sounds of gunfire and fists. "There's too many!" someone yelled, before the words were cut off in a garbled yell.

Philip couldn't see much from the backseat. _I don't know if I can help them,_ he thought _, but I'm no good to anyone staying here!_

Philip climbed out of the limo's backseat and his eyes widened as he spotted the creatures fighting his security detail. Tall, seven or eight foot creatures… "Good heavens," he gasped, and turned to run. As he did, a great hand shoved him against the side of the limo, pinning him to the side, and he looked up to see a lion-like beast on two legs breathing down at him. "W-what are you?" he stammered.

The beast got in his face, and Philip cringed, catching sight of a z-shaped blade in the creature's hand- _paw_? "Give me the energem," it hissed.

 _What?_ Philip blinked. "E-energem? I don't know what-"

"Don't play stupid with me!" the beat howled. His blade began to glow, inches from Philip's face. Terrified, Philip felt his hand moving of its own accord, and the beasts' eyes widened at the sight of the Stone of Zandar, glowing in the sunlight.

"Don't! Stop!" a voice cried out, and something came flying past Philip, knocking the golden beast away. He blinked and pocketed the stone, then turned to see the young man from the museum crouched low and staring at the golden monster. "You!" Philip gasped, recognizing him.

The young man glanced back at him for a moment, then focused his brown eyes on the monster in front of them. Without warning, he exploded from his place on the ground, straight at the lion creature. His bare foot caught it in the chest, but before he could bring his other foot around again, the beast caught his leg and flipped him backwards. How he managed to stay on his feet was a wonderment to Philip, who hadn't seen anyone fight like this except for in films.

 _He's incredible_.

"Hang on Koda!" Philip turned to see four others running toward the fight, the impostor prince and princess and two others he'd seen standing near the window at the museum. They were met by several of the green-headed monsters. They burst into battle. The one in the green shirt had produced a blade from somewhere, and the man in black with the backwards hat was firing laser shots at the others from a curious-looking gun.

A voice cried out, and Philip returned his gaze to the fight–Koda, they'd called him- was having with the lion monster. Koda had cartwheeled backwards so that he was standing between Philip and the monster again, breathing hard. "I thought you were the strong one." The lion's sword began to glow, and Philip's eyes widened.

They were right there. A point blank shot. There was no escaping.


	7. Chapter 7

Philip had never thought much about how he would die. When he was a kid, pretending to be Sir Ivan of Zandar, he was undefeated in jousts and battles with monsters. He wanted to think he'd be brave, that he'd draw his sword and attack.

Except he didn't have a sword. And he was _terrified_. Seeing an _actual_ monster in front of him was a whole different world.

"Nothing is going to stop me from getting that energem!" the lion growled.

Koda shoulder rolled into the ditch and grabbed something, then leapt back onto the road in front of Philip. "Koda stop you!" he informed the monster.

"What are you doing?" Philip demanded, noticing the hubcap from one of the limos in Koda's outstretched hands. Before Koda could explain, bolts of purple and green energy exploded from the end of the monster's sword. Koda brought the hubcap up, deflecting the bolts. His feet dug into the concrete as Philip covered his eyes.

The blast from the ricochet knocked them both away from the vehicle and into the grassy field on the side of the road. Philip hit the ground and rolled, hard. Bits of rock and dirt stung his face and hands as he slid to a stop. He waited a moment, then opened his eyes. _I'm alive. Unbelieveable!_ He was surprised the gem was still in his hand as he struggled to stand. Someone grabbed him under the arm, pulling to his feet in an instant. "Come. Fury after you," Koda, the man in blue, said, and together, they took off into the trees.

They walked for what seemed like forever. Finally, Koda stopped in the middle of a copse of trees. He sniffed the air. "You safe here," he declared, and Philip sagged, his back to a tree. He felt sick to his stomach. Koda crouched down across from him, resting his hands on his knees.

Koda had saved his life, Philip realized.

"I'm at a loss for words after how I treated you. The insults…" Philip shook his head. "Why would you risk your life for me?" _And I said that he wasn't worthy. It appears I'm wrong about a lot of things these days._

Koda pointed at his chest. "Everyone has good on inside," and Philip managed a smile.

"Even mean prince, like you," Koda continued.

Philip coughed. "I suppose I deserved that." He looked up at Koda. "You were incredible. Where did you learn to fight like that?"

Koda grinned, but before he could answer, there was a roar. The monster was coming. A giant boulder was rolling toward them, crashing through the trees like they were toothpicks. Koda knocked Philip aside and this time, he lost his grip on the gem. He stretched his fingers toward it, but a giant paw filled his vision, and plucked it away. "Finally. After eight hundred years, the gold energem is mine!"

"Eight _hundred_ years?" Philip gasped. _Impossible. It can't be!_ This couldn't be the same beast that bested Sir Ivan centuries ago… _or could it? After all I've seen today…_ "You're the monster that attacked Prince Collin 800 years ago?"

"Yes." The monster-Fury, Koda had said-took a menacing step toward him. "That prince survived. _You_ will not." Philip threw an arm in front of his face, as if that somehow would protect him.

There was a burst of electrical energy, or something, because Philip could smell burning grass and bark, and the hairs on his arms were standing straight up. Then, someone was grabbing him under the arm and pulling him to his feet. "Don't worry, we got you." Philip opened his eyes to see the young man from this morning-wearing the green sweater vest- holding him up.

"Are you okay?" He was immediately followed by the boy in red from earlier. "I'm Tyler," he said by way of introduction. "This is Riley." The boy in green waved. "And you've met Koda, of course." Koda gave him a happy grin and an enthusiastic wave.

Philip looked around, but Fury had disappeared. "I-I don't understand. Where-?"

"He took off," an accented voice that wasn't American said. Philip saw the boy with the black sweatshirt and backwards baseball cap jogging through the woods, followed by the girl in pink. "You okay, mate?" he asked Philip.

"That's Chase," Tyler said. "And Shelby." The girl in the pink gave him an awkward wave.

"I'm a fool," Phillip groaned. He looked at Chase. "But physically, I am fine." He brushed his jacket off and straightened his tie. Then he gasped. "That monster has the Stone of Zandar."

"Yeah," Shelby sighed. "We know."

"You guys, go after Fury," Tyler told the group standing around Philip. "I gotta grab something."

Koda looked at Philip as the others followed Tyler's order and took off. "Go back to road. To safety," he ordered Philip. Then, before Philip could argue, Koda was gone, leapfrogging over the downed trees and rocks. He was out of Philip's sight in an instant.

* * *

Philip was left alone in the trees. The rational part of his brain agreed to what Koda had told him. Safety was behind him. Wherever the people from the museum were going…it couldn't be good. Or safe, if it involved that lion monster. But… _I cannot just stand here_ , he decided. The eight year old in him wanted to see more of Koda in action. The prince in him refused to be told what to do. And the Zandarian in him needed to see the Stone of Zandar back in his hands.

He made his decision. He stripped off his suit jacket and left it by the rock and loosened his tie. Then, he took off in the general direction Koda had disappeared in, hoping he wouldn't get lost.


	8. Chapter 8

The terrain was a little slippery, a little rocky, and a little hard to follow, but Philip knew he was going the right direction. That was obvious by the sounds of metal on metal and people yelling, plus the sound of body contact.

Philip came bursting out of the woods and almost over the side of a rocky outcrop. His leather shoes skidded to a stop in the gravelly ground and he threw his hands out ahead of him, crashing into a decent-sized boulder to keep from going over the side. "Oh!"

He snapped his mouth shut quickly. What if that thing….Fury…had heard him? He closed his eyes and listened for a few moments.

Nothing.

Philip scrambled to the edge of the cliff and looked over the edge. Below, he saw the four young people squaring off against Fury and the others who'd attacked his convoy. There were also a metal, man-shaped monster and two twin blue monsters. _Good Lord. They don't stand a chance!_

"It morphing time!" he heard Koda yell, as the four of them pulled out some kind of futuristic-looking weapons-the same kind of gun that Chase had been using earlier on the road. "Unleash the power!" A moment later, standing in their place, were four people with helmets and suits of blue, green, black and pink.

"They're…Power Rangers," Philip realized. The suits were unmistakable. There was a great explosion behind the four of them, the smoke and flame nearly reaching him on top of the cliffside. Then, above him, a great shadow appeared, a golden…pterodactyl. _A pterodactyl. Of course,_ Philip shook his head to clear it. _Because giant lion monsters, and Power Rangers, and why wouldn't there be?_ It came swooping low, past him, and Philip could see sunlight glinting off its body. _Not alive,_ he realized. _A machine!_ _Incredible!_ He ducked behind the rock as one fiery blue eye came past him. As its tail passed him, Philip poked his head up and looked over the side of the cliff, getting down on his stomach and gently pushing himself so his head was over the side.

"You can't outrun it forever!" Fury yelled as the bird released a barrage of flame down on the four of them. But then, out of the air, a burst of energy was shot at it, and Philip looked up to see a giant red…tyrannosaurus. _God, this is fantastic!_ he exulted in his mind. Today was amazing. He'd been saved by a caveman, and he was realizing that indeed was what Koda was. Up in the sky, a pterodactyl and a gigantic T-rex were duking it out, and below, the Power Rangers were making short work of the monsters. "Dear God," he muttered, fascinated by it all. "Fantastic."

* * *

The fight went on and Philip watched in silence as the rangers battled the monsters. The red ranger was after Fury. As it had in front of Philip, the sword began to glow again, and the red ranger dodged the blast that came from it.

Then, the Red Ranger-Tyler, Philip remembered-counterattacked. Fury hit the ground and rolled. As Philip watched, the monster's chest began to glow. Something pulsed from it, a bright golden light. It stretched and moved, almost like it was alive. Fury howled like he was in pain. The golden light seemed to engulf the entire area as it exploded. The light burned Philip's eyes, and when he could finally see again, he noticed that Tyler was out of his suit, lying on the ground. Inbetween him and Fury was a young man, with short, dark black hair and olive skin. He was wearing what looked like chain mail and knee high leather boots.

The red ranger went over to the person and scrambled back. "Who are you?" Tyler asked him, and Philip heard the question echo up the rock face. Tyler helped him to his feet and stepped back as the new arrival surveyed the area. Then, he turned to look at Fury, and Philip's jaw dropped.

The young man with the chain mail armor glared at Fury. His voice was strong, and loud enough that it echoed off the cliff. "I am Sir Ivan, Knight of Zandar!"

Philip's jaw hit the ground. "Sir _Ivan_? That's _impossible_!" He seemed to be using that word a lot today. But even as he said it, the picture from the pull-down banner at the museum filled his vision, the etching in Zandarian history books, the full-length portrait in the Grand Hall, the coat of arms on his chest…

No, this certainly _was_ Sir Ivan. 800 years, and he had not aged a day! His childhood hero was _real_ , and he was standing below him, facing off against his greatest adversary, the lion-like monster called Fury. Protecting the Stone of Zandar and innocent people as he had all those years ago. Philip lay transfixed by the whole thing, completely in shock.

"Finally, tis my turn." Ivan stepped forward, his eyes filled with determination. The knight retrieved the Stone of Zandar from the ground.

"That energem is _mine_!" Fury growled at him.

As Philip watched, Ivan tossed it into the air. "Gold Ptera morpher! Unleash the power!" The stone dropped easily into a device that had appeared on his wrist. Seconds later, standing where Ivan had stood was a gold-suited Power Ranger. "Still think the stone is _yours_?" Ivan taunted Fury.

Fury roared, the sound shaking the cliffs. He pointed a clawed hand at two large, blue monsters who had appeared. "Attack!"

Ivan didn't move from his spot as they charged. Philip watched in awe as Sir Ivan battled the monsters easily. "Summon Ptera Saber!" Philip watched him insert the golden gem into the grip of a deadly-looking silver and blue blade. "Lightning strike!"

The tin man attacked, but Ivan's blade stunned him. "Feel the power of the storm." One of the blue ones tried charging him, but Ivan stunned him with a dazzling attack. "Lightning final strike!" The blast from the sword's tip sent the blue monster heels over head and dropped him to the dirt. "Anyone else?" Ivan demanded.

He got his answer a moment later. To Philip's horror, the two twin monsters grew to a massive height. Philip scrambled backwards as the giant beasts towered over him, but they advanced forward without spotting him-and thank God for that! Philip cautiously peered over the side again. Ivan took a running leap and landed on the head of the great golden pterodactyl, which had come around for another strike. Ivan disappeared, and as Philip watched in confusion, the golden dinosaur began to change. Legs appeared, a head with glowing purple eyes. It whipped off a giant black cape that vanished without a trace, and turned to battle the two blue monsters. The wings of the pterodactyl were sharp blades, and sparks rained down over Philip as he covered his head.

A moment later, it was all over, and Philip brought his head back up only to cover it as the two blue monsters exploded and crashed to the ground. He looked down, and seeing no sign of the monsters, or Fury, or anyone but the people from the museum, he started picking his way down the cliff. _Note to self, I need some better shoes_ , he thought to himself as his shoes slipped in the rock and gravel. He landed unceremoniously on his rear end, but got up quickly and dusted himself off before making his way over to the group of young people, now back in their regular clothing.

It was Tyler who spotted him first. "Prince Philip? Why are you still here?" he asked him.

At the word 'prince', Ivan turned. His eyes widened, and he instantly dropped to one knee, pressing one fist to his chest. "Sire!" he said, lifting his eyes to Philip. He held out the gem in both hands. "I am at your service!"

Philip was taken aback. He frowned. "Do…do you _know_ me?" he stammered.

Ivan replied instantly, "I know the royal blood of Zandar when I see it. I have spent my entire life protecting your family." His eyes dropped to the gem. "This belongs to the royal family."

Philip couldn't believe this was happening. There was part of him that was trying desperately to stay regal and composed. The other part _–_ his six-year-old self-really wanted to ask Ivan for an autograph or something. "So you…you truly are Sir Ivan, Knight of Zandar?" He gestured. "And the monster did not destroy you."

Ivan looked down and away, almost like he was ashamed of that fact. "No, he captured me for 800 years. Only when aided by the power of that stone did I escape."

Philip heard a cough, and turned to face Riley. "Um…it isn't just a stone. It's an energem." Riley reached a hand into his shirt and pulled out a green stone on a black cord. The others did the same, with stones the color of their Power Rangers uniforms. "They have more power than you can every imagine," Riley continued.

"You might have noticed," Chase spoke up with a tired grin.

"Ten energems were lost, we've only found five," Shelby put in.

"And the Stone of Zandar is the sixth," Tyler finished, inclining his head toward the stone Ivan was still holding.

Philip was torn. The Stone of Zandar belonged in Zandar. It was truly, he realized more now than ever, a national treasure. At the same time…there was something very serious, very dangerous, happening here, in Amber Beach, California. The five young warriors that stood in front of him now had held their own today, but he could see the fatigue in their body posture, in their eyes.

They could use some help. And the Stone of Zandar-no, the gold energem-was necessary for Ivan to aid them in that quest.

He made his decision. He reached down and closed Ivan's fingers around the golden stone. Ivan looked up, then made a sharp gesture with his hand. Ivan stood instantly, standing stiffly at attention like a modern-day soldier. "The…energem…is yours, to use as you will."

Ivan transferred the gem to one hand, then closed his fist around it. That fist touched his chest again as he bowed shortly. "Trust that I will use it to make the kingdom proud."

Philip smiled. "Of this, I have no doubt." Then, he turned to the other five. "I am humbled by your bravery and courage." He heard a rumble, and looked down to a small access road. A limo flying the colors of Zandar was rumbling up the gravel road. He smiled faintly, and turned to Tyler. "May you discover the remaining four energems safely."

Tyler nodded with a grin. Philip returned the smile, and then turned to leave. He was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. "Are you…all right?" The voice belonged to Koda, and Philip turned to his protector in blue. He sighed, and shook his head. "This is much to take in," he admitted. "I fear I need some time on my own." He looked at Tyler, Shelby, Riley, Chase, Koda, and Ivan. "You have inspired me. To do much more with myself." He nodded to Koda. "And for that, I thank you."

Koda broke into a huge grin, and threw his arms around Philip, knocking him off balance. He chuckled as the caveman released the hug and stepped back. Ivan's jaw was practically in the dirt, and Philip tried not to laugh. In Ivan's time, that probably would've gotten Koda killed.

* * *

Philip turned and made his way back to the limo, pleased to see all of his security detail had survived the attack on the road. _And probably more thanks to the Power Rangers than their own skills_ , he admitted to himself. They were truly amazing. Brave and heroic. Worthy of the gems they possessed. As Philip took his seat inside the limo again, he closed his eyes, thinking.

Shelby had said there were ten energems. Their gems allowed them power to dinosaurs. It was logical, then, that the other four remaining gems belonged to other dinosaurs.

When he returned to Zandar…he needed to make a few phone calls. He was going on a quest, like a knight of old. To prove himself worthy, to his parents, to his family legacy, and to one of those stones...


	9. Chapter 9

Philip glanced out the window of the Gulfstream jet as they came in for a landing. Already the press was swarming the runway. He looked at his shellshocked security team. A few of them hadn't spoken since the attack on the limos.

"Gentlemen," Philip said, and it made a few of them jump. They turned to look at their employer. "Your bravery in…unusual circumstances, has been noted. Thank you. You will be compensated for your time with three weeks of paid vacation for you and your families, compliments of the Zandarian treasury." The wheels touched down and he unbuckled his seatbelt. "Just get me through the press." He smiled. "Heaven knows they're worse than the monsters you faced."

That got him a laugh, and he nodded. He straightened his tie and pushed his sleeves up past his elbows. That would throw the press for a loop too-they'd probably never seen him so relaxed. The hatch was popped and he followed his security team-who, to their credit, performed excellently-into the waiting limousine.

Philip rode in the limo to the castle, his mind thousands of miles away in Amber Beach, California. _Dinosaurs roamed the entire earth at one point before the continents split. So it's possible that there could be an Energem in Europe right?_

His mind was racing with that question as they arrived at the palace. He ignored the press outside and went directly inside and headed straight for his office. Margaret was at her desk when he stepped into the space. She stood up quickly. "Prince Philip! It's good to have you back, sir."

"Good to be back," Philip replied. "I'll be in my office, please hold all calls and visitors." He had one hand on the door handle before he asked, almost an afterthought, "Is Anna around?"

"She's not here, sir," Margaret replied. Philip could hear it in her tone that it wasn't necessarily a surprise. "She is out, I believe."

"Ah. Okay." Philip looked like he wanted to say something else, but stepped into his office and closed the door. Once inside, he stood for a moment in the center of the room, looking around.

There was a security feed into his office, but Margaret didn't notice the prince's mad Karate Kid moves inside his office.

* * *

_To: dinoitall_

_From: (private)_

_Good morning, Shelby,_

_I wondered if you could provide me with some more information on the Energems. I recall you telling me that there were ten of them and six had been found. Have you any leads on the final four?_

_Please tell Ivan and the others hello. Perhaps someday soon I will return to California for a visit. I would like to see more of the museum and hear more of your quest. I am still in shock at all I have witnessed there._

_Thank you,  
Prince Philip III of Zandar_

* * *

_To: director_

_From: (private)_

_Director Morgan,_

_I apologize for interrupting your presentation of the Treasures of Zandar. As compensation, please feel free to keep the collection an additional month. I have had the pleasure of meeting some of your staff and I believe the collection is in fine hands. Should you require anything further from myself do not hesitate to write._

_Sincerely,  
Prince Philip III of Zandar_

* * *

_RE: (private)_

_From: dinoitall_

_Hi Philip!_

_It was really neat to get an email from you, though I'm still not sure how you managed to find mine!_

_We're doing some checking on the final four energems. We know one, the Aqua Energem, is in someone's possession, as the Ankylozord is active (it actually almost stepped on me, but that's a whole other story). The remaining energems are the Graphite, Purple, and Silver. We're trying to determine which dinosaurs they've bonded to. Keeper (he's an alien that's been here since the dinosaurs went extinct 65 million years ago-and you thought Ivan had a weird story!) remembers two of them bonding to the Plesiosaur and the Pachycephalosaurus, but we don't know about the final one._

_How are things in Zandar? It would be awesome if you'd make it back to visit us!_

_Shelby_

_PS: Tyler and I are still sorry about impersonating you at the museum. Maybe when you come back to the States you could bring your wife with you!_

* * *

Philip nearly spit his coffee on his keyboard at Shelby's post script on his computer.

It would be impossible for him to bring Anna with him as he hadn't seen her in the four days he'd been back in the country. He was sure the press was having a field day, but he hadn't seen any news on the computer, paper or television. His computer search history was filled with references to the two dinosaurs that Shelby had mentioned in her email.

Dinosaurs were fascinating. Had he not been so obsessed with Sir Ivan's story as a child he might have easily gotten into dinosaurs. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, his mind racing with thoughts of colored gems and giant dinosaurs...

* * *

_The Rangers need help. The monstrous form facing them has proven to be too much. Suddenly, a blast of laser fire knocks it back. A figure enters the fray, dressed in a solid color uniform. He lands a kick to the center of the monster, then follows it up with a punch to the face. As the others stare in wonder, the monster explodes in a shower of spark and flame._

_He turns as the remains smolder behind him. He reaches up to take off his helmet and reveals-_

"Philip!"

Philip jerked awake and blinked several times to clear his vision. _Jet lag must have caught up_ , he thought. He realized he'd been asleep with his head on his desk. It was dark. He looked up in the glow of the still-on television to see Annabeth standing in front of him. He was pretty sure the top she was wearing was new, and no doubt the jeans she was wearing cost a fortune and were bought specifically to get her photo in the tabloids. "Anna. Hello. I didn't hear you come in," he said.

"Nice to see you too," she responded. "How was your trip to the US? Did you bring back my tiara?"

He shook his head as he leaned back in his chair. "No. The collection will remain in California for another month."

"After the hell you raised to bring it back?" Anna asked him, her voice rising. "And my father losing his job for suggesting the same thing?"

 _Here we go_. "The difference in the situation being that the first time, it was done without my knowledge and against my explicit instruction," Philip informed her, as if trying to explain patiently to a small child.

"And the fact that the Stone of Zandar was stolen while it was in the care of the museum?" Anna shot back.

"It was recovered," Philip pointed out. "And would not have been stolen in the first place if the exhibit had returned when I _ordered_ it to be." He sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I did not want our first conversation to be a fight," he told her honestly.

"Haven't you heard?" Anna pointed out. "That's all we're good for."

Philip leaned forward. "Perhaps you are right about that," he admitted.

It clearly wasn't the response Anna had been going for. "What did you say?" she asked him.

"What I should have said months ago," Philip said. "Anna, it's obvious that something isn't working between us."

"It's a fight," Anna shrugged. "Couples fight." She stepped up to his desk and leaned over it so she was almost in his face. "But then they make up and move on."

He could hear what she was suggesting, and her posture was definitely encouraging it. Philip sighed. "Anna, I just got back from a one-day trip to the US and I'm afraid jet lag has gotten the best of me." He looked up at her. "Perhaps tomorrow when I am in better shape."

Her eyes flashed. "That's not likely," she hissed at him, standing up and stalking from the office.

Philip was too tired to try to reason with her. The moment after the door closed, he was asleep again.

* * *

Sunlight was streaming in his office window when he woke up the next morning, stiff and sore from sleeping on his desk. He straightened up and looked around. The time on the television news ticker was reading nine AM.

 _It's a new day_. Hopefully, one day in which to start things off on a better foot. The first thing he did was buzz Margaret, who was faithfully at her desk.

"Good morning, sire," she said, sounding chipper.

"Good morning," he said. "Can you please give me my agenda for the day? And, do you know if Annabeth is in the building?"

"I'll bring your daily agenda shortly," Margaret replied. "And…I don't believe Princess Annabeth is in the palace, no. I'm not sure if she even slept here last night."

 _Probably cursing my name with her father._ "That's fine, thank you." Philip clicked off and leaned back. He opened his laptop to see a long list of waiting emails. He answered a few, deleted most, and then one from S. Watkins caught his eye, and he clicked on the unread email from Shelby. He grinned as he read it. The young woman was extremely thorough, offering a wealth of information on the possible territory of the two known dinosaurs that were holding the energems.

Amazingly, the Pachysaur, as Shelby was calling it for short, had resided on the part of the earth prior to the meteor that slammed into Mexico 65 million years ago that happened to contain at least part of Zandar. Philip forwarded the email on to Doctor George Jameson who was the chief archaeologist for the country of Zandar with the information marked high importance. He implied that it would be to the Archaeological Society's best interest if he should find something.

It would be even more to his own if Dr. Jameson did.

The next thing he did was get Margaret on the horn. "Could you get me a list of the top martial arts instructors in a twenty-mile radius?" he asked her.

She sounded confused even as she answered she would. He hung up, his mind racing. If one of the energems was indeed within Zandarian borders, he wanted to be ready.

* * *

Weeks dragged by. Philip's emails with Shelby became few and far between. Apparently, finding a dinosaur fossil in Zandar wasn't as easy as he thought it would be. Shelby offered him several suggestions as to habitat and location and Philip conferred with Dr. Jameson, who agreed with Philip's 'anonymous source.' But the searching was slow going.

Philip had begun his training with some simple kickboxing. He'd never been particularly athletic, and so Margaret had also needed to find him a personal trainer. He was sore, and tired and frustrated. The old Philip had come through a few times as he'd thrown a water bottle and a couple of weights across the room. He'd thought of his mother, and how she wouldn't approve of his attitude. How proud she'd be if he would become a Ranger. He'd apologized profusely to his trainer and his instructor and they'd both noticed a change in his attitude, at least a little.

It wasn't helping that he'd seen Anna a grand total of three times in the past month. Each time it was her moving things from their bedroom out of the palace. The press kept trying for the story, kept speculating, and Anna wasn't making it a secret that she was moving out.

He hadn't expected to see her that evening as he was sitting in the bedroom on the bed, studying security plans for a public appearance at the new nature preserve. The door had burst open, and she stopped short, catching him on the bed. He peered over the top of his reading glasses.

"Hello, Annabeth," he said quietly.

"Hi," she said shortly, and walked in front of him heading for the walk in closet.

He sighed, reaching under the stack of security briefs and pulling out a second manila envelope. "I have something for you," he said, leaning forward and tossing the envelope at the edge of the bed.

She came out of the closet, an armful of designer jeans in her hand. She frowned at him and he nodded to the envelope. Her eyes narrowed.

Annabeth tossed the jeans on the floor and reached for the envelope. Philip reached over and muted the television, waiting for her reaction.

The Princess of Zandar opened the envelope and perused the contents inside. Philip had the papers memorized…and signed.

Annabeth looked up so fast his head spun. He braced for the tirade. To his surprise, she said, "Give me your pen."

He frowned. "I beg your pardon?" It wasn't what he'd been expecting.

Annabeth shrugged. "Let's face it," she told him. "We were pretty much divorced already," she said. "I don't know where your head has been lately, but it hasn't been on us. Or our marriage."

 _She was trying to make this his fault_. He was seething. "And yours has been in your credit card and fabric samples," he shot back. "You are correct that we were pretty much separated anyway. The press has been speculating about it for months."

"Did you meet someone?" she asked him. "Is that why you went to the US?"

"What?" Philip frowned. "Of course not!"

She shrugged. "I just don't understand how you could have gone to the States being so upset with my father for the exhibit, but then you go to retrieve it and it _stays there_!" She looked at him. "You clearly were distracted by something over there."

 _Six Power Rangers and a Gold Energem._ "I can promise you it wasn't a woman," he finally said. "I had hoped we could reconnect upon my return, but as you've been nonexistent in my life, we may as well make it official." He was tired of this conversation.

To his surprise, Annabeth smiled. It wasn't a _nice_ smile, but a cold, calculating one. "Sounds good to me," she said. "I will truly enjoy seeing how you play this out in the press." She signed her name with a flourish and tossed the pen at him. Had he not moved, it would have hit him between the eyes. Then, she picked her jeans up off the floor and left the room. As an afterthought, she stopped in the doorway. Her back was to Philip so he couldn't see what she was doing, but the next thing, something flew past his head and bounced off the headboard. The door slammed off to his right as he picked up Annabeth's wedding ring off the pillow.

He couldn't help but chuckle, despite it all. _Well. That went well._


	10. Chapter 10

Dr. George Jameson was getting desperate. Almost two months of searching and he'd come up with nothing. Prince Philip's patience was waning and so was his funding. He wiped his brow with his handkerchief as he surveyed their dig site. Twenty-five university students were knee-deep in the ground searching for any sign of a Pachycephalosaurus. It was the largest dig he'd ever been a part of _anywhere_ , including his time in Germany as a university student himself.

It was unfortunate that nothing was coming of it. He might have been more excited about it if it was.

The ground rumbled beneath his feet and he reached over to steady a research text flipped open to information on the dinosaur in question. Below him, in a four by six hole, Elisa Drummond held onto her shovel as the small quake passed. "Earthquake?" she asked the doctor, looking concerned.

Jameson shook his head and jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "They are digging at the quarry over the hill," he explained. "There is a large limestone deposit there," he added. He smiled shortly at the young woman's nervousness. "Don't worry, my dear, we're far enough away we're not in danger."

Then, from the quarry, shouts. They sounded urgent. _Perhaps I spoke too soon._ Jameson's brow furrowed and he turned to ascend the hill, his boots digging into the soft dirt. Atop the hill, he surveyed the south end of the quarry. Below him about a hundred feet, several workers were gathered around something in the soil-pointing and gesturing.

 _It couldn't be._ Jameson yelled over his shoulder that Elisa was in charge as he half ran, half skidded down the hill into the quarry, awkwardly climbing the security fence and the notices that warned against high explosives.

"What did you find?" he demanded. At the workers' startled expressions, he added, "On the order of Prince Philip I demand you tell me what is going on!"

He had no clout with Philip, but they didn't need to know that. Finally, one man pointed, and Jameson shoved his way through the group.

The image was drilled into his head from months of work. There was no mistaking the outline of a Pachycephalosaurus skull. And in the skull, something silver glinted at him.

His knees sagged. _The find of a lifetime_. Then, to business. He stood up and snapped a finger at the man closest to him. "You. I need a shovel and a way to get this out of here." Outside, he was collected and calm, but inside, he was bouncing up and down. "I also need a truck."

* * *

"Attack Prince." The voice was low and monotone, emotionless. Across the room, Philip took a breath, crouched defensively, his blue eyes narrowed at the attacker. He was surprisingly calm. Then, the attacker lashed out, a white metal hand thrusting toward his face. Philip threw up a hand and knocked it sideways, then turned and planted a foot squarely in the center of the chest. As his attacker lurched toward him again, Philip spun to his left and lashed out backwards with his foot, this time, catching the side of his attacker's head.

There was a beeping sound. Philip glanced up as his attacker went motionless. Across the room, someone started clapping, and Philip looked up to see his personal instructor applauding him. Philip ran a hand over his face and smiled. He tapped the six-foot-tall white and silver robot he'd been fighting on the shoulder, and pointed at his instructor. "Nice moves," he complimented him. His instructor smirked back, pleased that at least this time, Philip had managed to stay on his feet for the entire workout. In his hands, he held the control box for the GBO robot. It was some Japanese invention; he wasn't sure what the initials stood for. Philip had decided it stood for "Good Boxer."

 _My ranger friends will be impressed_ , Philip thought. At least something good was coming of the eternal wait to find an energem. He could now handle himself in a fight.

He waved his instructor from his office and sat on the corner of his desk, taking a sip of water. He wasn't breathing nearly as hard as he had the first few weeks of his new workout regimen. People on his staff had noticed changes in him. He was happier. He looked healthier. He'd had a bit of a royal paunch that was now being replaced by more muscle. He seemed more confident, both in himself and his position.

 _Mother would be proud_ , he thought. _At least, I hope so._

His office door burst open and he jerked out of his thoughts as Margaret came striding into the room. She never came in without knocking first, so this was a first. "Margaret?" Philip asked in alarm. "What-"

"Your Highness, they may have found the fossil you were searching for," she told him, her eyes sparkling. She had fielded most of the communication between the two offices, and so she was well aware of Philip's growing interest in dinosaurs. Behind her, Dr. George Jameson and another man were coming in, wheeling a silver cart between them. Atop it sat a giant crate. The seal of the archaeological department was stamped on the side.

Philip's eyes lit up. He looked at Dr. Jameson for confirmation and the older man nodded.

 _He found it. My God, he found it!_ "Everyone, please leave," he commanded authoritatively. Margaret shooed the men from the room, leaving him alone in the room with the crate. He found a crowbar on the bottom shelf of the cart and took it to a corner, working on prying the lid off the container. It took a little bit, but after a few minutes he'd popped it off and set it aside. Then, he peered inside.

The fossilized head was situated sideways inside, packed in straw to keep it from bouncing around. He pushed the straw around until he could see most of the skull of the Pachycephalosaurus. He ran a hand over it, slowly. In the back near the joint where the jaw met the rest of the skull, something silvery-gray glinted in the light streaming through the windows. He located a chisel on the cart, and carefully pried it out until it landed in his hand. The stone was about three inches long. Either end appeared capped with a mercurial-looking metal, but the middle of it reminded him of a lava lamp, silvery bits of quartz or something mixed in with a darker metal that almost looked like pencil lead.

In short, it bore a striking resemblance to the Gold Energem from months ago, except this one was a darker gray. "Yes!" he exulted, closing his hand around the gem triumphantly.

Margaret heard him all the way out in the office. She popped on the intercom. "Sire, is everything all right?" she asked him.

Philip winced. He hadn't meant to yell so loudly. Grimacing, he went to his desk and pressed the intercom. "Yes, Margaret, everything is fine," he promised her. He let go of the button and stepped back in front of his desk. He held the gem at eye level, mesmerized by the swirling gray color. "I too shall make the kingdom proud," he said, thinking of Ivan. _For mother, for father…and for everyone._ With that, he thrust the gem out in front of him much as he'd seen the Rangers do in California.

"Energize!"

He waited. Nothing happened.

"Unleash the power!"

The gem glinted silently back at him. Philip blinked and looked down. He was still in his workout clothes. Nothing was happening.

"Why?" he demanded at the gem.

The gem, of course, didn't respond.


	11. Chapter 11

The knocking on his door became fairly insistent, and Philip groaned as he rolled over to look at the clock. It was eight AM. His head hurt. In an embarrassing revert to his younger self, after taking the frustration of the faulty energem out on the G-BO robot, Philip had retreated to his room, locked the door, and consumed nearly an entire case of a German lager.

Thoughts had raced through his dreams. _Why didn't the energem work? What is wrong with it? What is wrong with_ me _?_ The gem sat next to his bed, glittering in the early morning sunlight streaming in through his window. The twinkling gem was taunting him. The answer was _there_ , Philip knew. He just didn't know _what_ the answer was or _how_ he was going to find it.

The pounding on his door was practically a bass line, and he snarled, "Whoever the hell is banging on that door had better have adequate reason or they will find themselves _unemployed_!"

The knocking ceased. Then, the offender spoke. "Prince Philip, it's Margaret. You need to wake up, sire. There is something you need to see."

He ran a hand over his face, falling back on the pillow. The last thing he wanted to do was alienate Margaret, she'd been one of the few people willing to put up with him. Plus, he wasn't entirely sure he could run the country without Margaret checking his work. Slowly, he got to his feet and walked over to the door and popped the lock. He had barely stepped back when Margaret, dressed for the work day, came striding urgently into the room. She barely gave his pajama pants and bare chest a glance as she reached over and turned on his television.

He looked up at the newscaster and read the superscript. "I see news of my divorce is out," he sighed. He continued watching, and snickered. "Another woman? I can tell you who leaked the information," he rolled his eyes. "That woman is an absolute horror."

"The papers are asking for a statement," Margaret told him. "My phone has been ringing off the hook since I arrived at the office."

"Please don't quote what I just said," Philip responded, running a hand through his face. "Good God. This on top of everything else…"

"Everything else?" Margaret repeated.

"Never mind." Philip took a breath and let it out, pacing. _Damage control_ … "Margaret, please draw up a statement. Use irreconcilable differences if you must. Do not address the….other woman."

Margaret bit her lip. "Prince Philip…." He looked at her, his blue eyes blazing. "There….there _isn't_ another woman, is there?" she asked.

His voice was firm. "Absolutely not. I was in the States on business. Nothing more. And you can put that in the statement too."

She nodded. She believed him. She'd gotten quite adept over the years at telling if he was lying or not. He wasn't. But he definitely didn't want to talk about it either, and that was just fine with her.

Philip waited until Margaret had left the room before throwing himself facedown on the bed with a groan. The next few weeks were going to be dreadful. The press was relentless. And no doubt Annabeth would be feeding them any lie she could come up with, and her father would get involved.

 _You've made a formidable enemy, Philip_ , he thought to himself. The thought of dealing with everything was overwhelming.

Philip decided to do what he did best. He rolled off the bed, snatching the Energem in his hand. He reached for his mobile and called Margaret to book him a plane ticket to California.

* * *

The press followed him to the airport, but Margaret was nothing if not effective at her job. She quickly leaked to the press that Philip was heading to the airport for reasons unknown, and while the press enthusiastically ate that up, a helicopter landed on the grounds of the castle. Two people got on. The helicopter was used by a few of the sightseeing companies in Zandar, so no one paid it much attention as it flew over the castle in a loop before heading south to the airport.

* * *

The sight of the Amber Beach museum was somewhat comforting to Philip as he and his trainer, an affable gent by the name of Thomas, pulled up in a simple blue rental vehicle. "I'll just be a moment," Philip told him, and Thomas nodded as Philip closed the door and he went to put the vehicle in parking.

Thomas Leary was 50, but one of the most sought-after personal trainers in Zandar. Some had likened him to the Chuck Norris of Zandar, in that not only was he successful in the entertainment business as a stunt coordinator, he also had a fitness empire based on a combination of martial arts including Muay Thai and Judo. Thinking that working for the Prince of Zandar would be a good move both personally and financially, he'd agreed to work with the young Prince, whom he'd always seen as sort of an arrogant man.

Training him had opened up a whole other side that Thomas didn't realize. Philip was hard working and very dedicated. He took instruction well. There had been a few moments right at the start where the spoiled prince had come through, but Thomas had been pleased to see him develop both physically and mentally into a stronger person. Philip had only truly confided in two people his entire life-his mother and Margaret, his assistant. But he was starting to open up more to Thomas the more they worked. He knew the Prince wasn't happy in his marriage, and though Thomas was single, he tried to sympathize. More importantly, he knew Philip was less than pleased with his image in the media, and Thomas could see him working hard to be a better person.

He wasn't sure why Philip had asked him to come along to the States, but as he'd never been, he wasn't going to complain. He figured Philip wanted to keep up his training. Plus, as Thomas had never really liked the Princess Annabeth, he figured if Philip needed to hit something to take his aggression out, he understood.

He parked the car and jogged into the museum. Philip hadn't brought any security with, and Thomas was the closest thing he had. If something happened to Philip he'd never forgive himself. He paid the entrance fee and wandered around, admiring the giant reconstructed Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton in the main hall. Down the hall, he could hear chanting, and his curiosity got the best of him. He followed the sounds and almost ran over Philip, who was leaning in the doorway, a small smile on his face. The prince caught him staring and pointed up to the front, his grin growing wider.

Onstage were about twenty children, in traditional dress (some United States culture or some other country's, Thomas had no idea). But as soon as they started chanting again, he figured it out. An avid football fan, Thomas easily picked up the Haka chant from New Zealand. He explained that to Philip, who nodded in interest.

Philip watched the children. He knew some of what it was like to be put in the spotlight and he was very impressed by the way they held themselves. There was one little girl in the front row who kept staring at something in the front row of the audience, yet managing to keep time.

As the chant completed, the audience applauded, including Philip and Thomas. Philip noticed Miss Morgan, the museum director (whom he had not met in person, merely yelled at the first time around) get up to introduce them. When she finished, there was a great commotion from the front row, and several people stood. Philip smiled as he recognized two of them- Tyler and Chase, both Power Rangers and also employees of the museum. As the crowd started to disperse, he pulled Thomas around the corner. "I'd rather keep my presence here unnoticed," he said. He glanced across the aisle and smiled at the Dino Bite Café. "But I know somewhere we can hide in plain sight-and get something to eat."

"I haven't eaten since we left-wasn't about to try airplane food," Thomas agreed easily. "Lead the way. You seem as though you've been before."

Philip glanced up in surprise. "You don't watch the news, do you Thomas?"

Thomas shook his head. "Too much doom and gloom. I'd rather focus on a football pitch."

Philip grinned.

* * *

The food was interesting, and the people watching was fascinating. The entire group from New Zealand was in the café; twenty youngsters drinking soda and eating a Bronto Burger, something Philip found to be really, really good! Most of them had traded their Maori costume for shorts and t-shirts to follow the California weather. Philip spotted Tyler and Shelby working the grill at the back of the café, and Koda doing dishes. It was so odd to see the teenagers he knew to be Power Rangers doing something as mundane as serving burgers and fries to children. Fierce warriors on the battlefield, and apparently just as fierce in their day jobs, Philip noted with a smile. He wondered where Koda was. Koda had saved his life the last time he was in California and he'd never properly said thank you.

Chase was speaking to one of the girls-the girl in the front row onstage- _ah, and now it makes sense._ His accent from the last time Philip had spoken with him, the way she kept looking at the front row… _sister, perhaps?_ Then, Tyler caught Chase's eye from the kitchen, and nodded subtly to the kitchen's back entrance.

Philip's eyes narrowed. _Something is going on._ _Perhaps the Energems only react in times of need?_ If they were going to go fight something…He looked at Thomas. "We need to go."

"We do?" Thomas was mid-bite into his burger.

Philip nodded. Thomas looked at him with interest. Philip's hand had gone to his suit pocket, and his eyes were tracking something in the back of the room. "Lead the way," Thomas gestured, tossing a few bills on the table to pay for their meal.

The two of them raced for their rental car, and followed a red, American-made Jeep out into the streets.


	12. Chapter 12

"Here!" Philip yelled a few minutes later, and Thomas hit the brakes as the red Jeep swerved to a stop in the empty parking lot of some kind of sports stadium. Philip climbed out of the rental, and watched the group in the Jeep take off.

A moment later, they were replaced by five figures in helmets and some type of color-coded uniform. "What the-" Thomas's jaw hit the ground.

"Those are the famed Power Rangers," Philip explained. The lead-colored Energem in his pocket felt heavier, and he wished he could join them. They were joined in a moment by a figure in gold, _Sir Ivan of Zandar_ , Philip thought in awe (the feeling of seeing one's childhood hero in action), and together, they turned to face their enemy.

Philip's blood ran cold. He recognized it. _Fury_. The lion-like beast had tried to kill him and take the gold energem that was now in Ivan's possession. Koda had saved him from the beast. _I want a piece of him_. Turning to Thomas, he said, "Get the robot out of the trunk."

Thomas frowned. "Sir-"

"Just do it!"

* * *

The fight was going pretty well, Tyler thought, as he handled two of the Vivix foot soldiers Fury summoned out of nowhere. He looked over, and saw Chase beating two of them with prejudice, annoyed that he had to lose out on spending time with his little sister to fighting them.

Something walked by him and punched a Vivix in the stomach, then threw an elbow into its' face. "What _is_ that thing?" Tyler gaped, staring. Chase flipped a Vivix onto its' back and looked at it. It was…a robot. Shiny white, with black and blue markings.

"It trying to help," Koda said, using his caveman strength to knock two Vivix over in a clothesline. Chase watched it as it awkwardly walked into the middle of Riley and a group of three Vivix. It tried to punch one, lost footing, and tumbled into Riley.

"Well, it's not doing a very good job!" Riley groused as the bot landed on top of him. Chase ran over to help him up, plowing his foot into a Vivix on the way.

"Ignore it! Go after Fury!" Tyler barked. He and Shelby turned to face the aforementioned monster, but Fury beat a hasty retreat. The robot, meanwhile, continued to punch and kick its' way through the Vivix that were still hanging around, saying, "Attack!" in a monotone voice.

In a flash, the Vivix disappeared. "Where they go?" Koda wondered.

"Don't know, don't really care," Chase said. "I have to get back, I can't disappoint Chloe."

"It okay," Koda reassured him, and Chase took off at a dead sprint, locating his skateboard and rolling away.

Koda turned to watch the robot run into a wall. "Error," it announced. "Error."

Koda frowned. "Think it is broken," he observed.

"Where'd it come from?" Tyler wondered.

"It belongs to me." Philip stepped out from behind a pillar, the control box in his hand. He was frowning a little at the robot, but smiling at the others.

"Prince Philip?" Tyler asked, in shock. He was the _last_ person Tyler expected to be standing there.

"Your Highness!" Shelby said, surprised. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"Well I stopped by the museum to say hello, but when I saw you were in trouble, I decided to lend a hand. With my robot." _And hopefully kick start an Energem_. That part hadn't happened. The gem still sat inert in his pocket.

"This fighting machine…yours?" Koda watched it as it ran into the wall again, then turned and tried to walk away, nearly running him over.

"It fought well, did it not?" Philip asked. He tried to ignore the fact that the robot was walking away-even as Philip was trying to use the controls to bring it back.

"Uh, it was…." Ivan began, but then remembered who he was talking to. He bowed low. "Not that helpful," Ivan admitted. "With apologies, sire."

"A machine just can't react the way a human Ranger can," Tyler jumped in.

"To be honest, it kinda got in the way," Shelby cut in. She bit her lip.

"I see. I'm sorry," Philip understood what they were saying. "Please don't think you have to sugarcoat your thoughts around me."

"It's OK," Shelby assured him. "We know you were just trying to help-"

"The robot!" Riley gasped, and took off. Philip saw the Green Ranger taking off after G-BO, who was in the hands of several Vivix, who disappeared instantly in a puff of green smoke. _That cannot be good,_ Philip grimaced. He had come to help. _I may have made things much worse._

* * *

The group returned to the museum and the café, where Philip tried to calm down a still-in-shock Thomas. "I promise you, I was in _no_ danger," he reassured him. He smiled and put a hand on Koda's shoulder, who was sitting next to him. "This man would have saved me yet again, I am sure."

"I would have," Koda replied proudly. "Robot not have…piece of junk." Thomas frowned at that, and Philip grimaced.

"Speaking of pieces of junk," Philip began, plucking the Energem from his pocket. "I don't suppose you know where the 'on' switch is for this, would you?"

"Graphite Energem!" Koda breathed. "Where you find it?"

 _The Graphite Energem_ , Philip sounded it out. _Amazing._ "Back home, in Zandar," Philip admitted. "I wanted to show you all first." _And get away from some bad press, but really, what is more important?_ "However, it doesn't appear to be working."

"Broken?" Koda wondered.

"I'm beginning to think so," Philip rolled his eyes. "Tell me, Koda…how did _yours_ …work?"

"Energem bonded to me," Koda said proudly. Miss Morgan had tried to explain that word, bonded, to him before, but he didn't completely understand what it meant. "I save little brother from sabre tooth tiger. It chose me."

"Sabre tooth tiger? Wait just a minute-" Thomas trailed off. He shook his head. "I think I need a drink."

"Drinks up there," Koda pointed to the soda machine.

Thomas followed his hand, and shook his head. "Not what I meant, mate."

"Chose you." Philip processed that. "Why?"

Koda looked a little offended, and Philip realized what his tone must have sounded like. "I'm sorry, my friend. What I meant was, what was it about you that made it…choose you?"

Koda knew the answer to this one. He didn't understand 'bonded' but he understood this. "It believed I have good heart," he told Philip with a grin.

 _A good heart?_ Philip was tired of all the riddles. "I don't understand. How does one prove that…to a _gem_?"

Koda shrugged, his fingers playing with his energem. "Don't know," he said finally. "Energem…mysterious. Power Ranger must be worthy."

 _Worthy_. He thought about Koda saving his little brother. _Doing good._ He thought about his life. All the things he'd done as a child. All the things he'd done as a young adult. Storming into Amber Beach to take back the Gold Energem. Running away from Annabeth. _What could I possibly do that would make the gem think I am worthy?_

"Here's your bill," Shelby said, coming over to their table. "No rush or anything. Oh, Prince Philip-"

"Just Philip, please," he countered her. He reached for his wallet…and an idea struck him.

* * *

"Were you expecting anything?" Shelby asked Kendall Morgan the next morning as a FedEx Freight truck pulled up outside the loading dock. Riley came to join them. He whistled as they began offloading boxes.

"No," Kendall replied, thoroughly confused. She signed for the boxes, and Shelby popped the lid off the top of one. "That's a Pachysaur," she noted. Riley handed Kendall the packing slip and she studied it. "This is from the Archaeological Society of Zandar."

"Zandar?" Riley repeated. "Like, Prince Philip of Zandar?"

"He find Energem," Koda told them, coming up behind them in his work coveralls. "Graphite Energem."

"What?" Kendall's jaw dropped.

"That explains the Pachysaur fossil," Shelby stammered. "He must have found it in Zandar…I can't believe it worked!"

"What worked?" Kendall asked. Shelby blushed.

"Um…we might have been emailing back and forth…."

* * *

Tyler was clearing out the trash at table 10 in the café that afternoon when he noticed the _Amber Beach Times_ shoved into the far corner of the booth. He set down his tub with dirty dishes and fished the paper out. The first headline caught his eye: _Amber Beach Shelter Given Generous Donation_. As he read through it, his eyes widened. "Ivan, check this out!" Tyler called to the Gold Ranger, who was flirting with a table nearby. It took another yell but Ivan came over to see what Tyler wanted. Tyler held out the paper and Ivan scanned it. "It does not say who this mysterious benefactor was?" Ivan sounded confused. "Who would be that generous but not want their name in the paper?"

"Who do we know who has that kind of cash but would want to keep his name a secret?" Tyler countered.

"Prince Philip?" Ivan deduced, and Tyler nodded. "This is an incredible gift he has given this city," Ivan noted. "I wonder why he chooses to be anonymous?"

Tyler shook his head as he read the article. It also mentioned a second donation to a local hospital of fifty new wheelchairs. "I don't know," he admitted. "I'm not even sure why he's here in the States, but somehow I don't think it's just to give his money away."

 _Philip is here for a reason_ , he thought. _Maybe it's time we find out that reason._

* * *

Philip lashed out at Thomas with more gusto than usual. "Oof," Thomas groaned, shaking his hand. "Nice hit, Your Highness," he praised.

"I don't know what more I can do!" Philip groused, driving an elbow into the second pad on Thomas's hand.

"I don't know if I completely understand all this, yeah?" Thomas said, adjusting his stance so Philip had to reach higher for the kick. "You're really thinking that if you pull enough Robin Hood stunts this thing'll….pick you to be one of those Power Ranger guys?"

"Exactly," Philip panted. He spun around, his foot landing square on target. "I need to get out," he said. "I'm going to go for a walk."

"I'll join you," Thomas said, instantly shedding the pads. Philip raised an eyebrow. "Hey, you decided to skip continent without your security detail. Martin would murder me in my sleep if something happened to you over here."

"Perhaps Annabeth and her father would cheer," Philip muttered as he shed his longsleeve shirt for a gray t-shirt.

"She didn't deserve you, Philip," Thomas said after a moment. Philip jerked and looked over at him. Thomas continued putting their training equipment away as he continued. "Really," he continued. "I've seen what a good guy you are. The good you're trying to do. All she cared about was the image, Your Highness. She never cared about you or doing any of the _good_ that should come with being a Princess." He snapped the case shut and looked over at him. "You're better than that, and you deserve more."

Philip was silent for a moment, and Thomas took that as a bad sign. "I'm sorry," he backtracked. "Overstepped."

"No, it's not that," Philip replied quickly. "It's just…no one has thought that highly of me since my mother died," he admitted.

"It'll catch on," Thomas said with a wink. "Let's head out, yeah? There's a little park a few blocks down, we can go out, grab some fresh air."

* * *

A familiar figure caught some serious air on a skateboard, and Philip recognized Chase Randall instantly. He stepped over onto the concrete pad, Thomas on his heels. "Chase!" Philip waved, and Chase nodded back. "Philip, hey mate. What brings you here?"

Before Philip could answer, a little girl came running over. "I'm ready!" she announced, snapping her helmet over her ponytail. "Can you teach me to do a backside 360?"

Chase grinned. "Yeah, Chloe, absolutely. That's lesson two. Lesson one," he said, picking her up under the armpits, "is feet on board." She giggled. Chase looked up. "Philip, this is my little sister Chloe."

"A pleasure," Philip greeted her. "Your performance at the museum was excellent." Chloe blushed.

"Here, Chloe, why don't you try a lap or two on the flat part here, get used to the board," Chase instructed. Chloe kicked off, wobbling. "Heard you found an Energem," Chase noted once she was out of earshot. "Congratulations."

"Those definitely are not in order," Philip replied. He pulled it out of his pants pocket. "It's just a gemstone." Off Chase's confused look, he explained, "It hasn't bonded with me yet." He sighed. "I don't think it thinks I'm worthy of it."

Chase's morpher sounded, and he glanced around to see Chloe headed back their direction. "No…not now," Chase frowned. Shelby's voice came over the comm, and Chase sighed as Chloe came back to them. The board started to slide out from under her, and Philip caught her arm to keep her from falling. "Thanks!" she said brightly. "Hey Chase, I think I did really good! Can we-"

She trailed off at her older brother's face. "Work again?" she asked him, and Philip could hear the disappointment in her voice.

"I'm sorry. Look, I'll be back as soon as I can." Chase frowned.

"I'll stay here with her," Thomas volunteered, noting the look on Philip's face. It was the same one he'd had at the museum when they'd followed the Rangers to the stadium. Chase frowned. "And you are, exactly?"

"This is Thomas. He's…great with kids. Very trustworthy," Philip vouched for him. "Chase, perhaps I can be of some assistance at your….work."

The two of them speedwalked away. Chase swore under his breath. "I'm telling you, Philip, right now, I don't feel like I'm worthy either," he bit out. "She's here for three days on this exchange with her dance group and I've had to dodge her everytime because of this stupid thing." His fingers gripped the black energem tightly. "Can't even tell her why."

"I'm sure if she knew, she'd understand your sacrifice," Philip told him.

"I doubt it," Chase said. "Come on, let's go." They picked up the pace.

* * *

Chloe Randall set her helmet down in frustration. "It's not fair! His stupid job. Everytime we try to do something he's got to go to work!" Tears pricked the corners of her eyes.

"I'm sure if it wasn't important they wouldn't call," Thomas tried, handing Chloe her bookbag. "Though I can't imagine anything being more important than you."

"You're really nice," Chloe admitted. Suddenly, her eyes widened and she pulled out a giftwrapped square from her bag. "Chase's present!" She stood up. "I have to go give this to him."

"But he-"

Chloe looked up at him. "You said it, nothing is more important than me. Work can wait!" With that, she took off, following the direction Philip and Chase went.

Thomas groaned. "Great with kids, huh?" he echoed Philip's words. "Thanks a lot, Your Highness."


	13. Chapter 13

Philip and Chase arrived at an outdoor food court in time to see Tyler and the other rangers diving for cover from- "Fury," Philip hissed.

"I got interrupted for this clown?" Chase yelled. "Come on!"

As if Fury had heard him, he fired in their direction. Chase and Philip both dove for cover. The energy wave sent Philip flying into a decorative stone fountain. He hit it _hard_ and rolled. As he climbed back to his feet, he realized something terrifying.

"The Graphite Energem!" he gasped, feeling his pocket. "It's not here!" And then, something else. Heading the Rangers' general direction was- "My robot? Impossible!"

"That hunk of steel doesn't stand a chance against us!" Tyler yelled at Fury. "And neither do you!" With that proclamation, the six rangers roared into battle, unmorphed. Philip managed to take cover behind a few tables, and could only watch. _I wanted to help them on their mission…and I can't even hold onto the gem!_ He watched Riley and Tyler doubleteam Fury and felt a pang of anger. _That monster nearly killed me and my security team the last time I was here. He imprisoned Sir Ivan. He nearly killed Prince Colin._ It was personal. Colin had been an ancestor. Ivan had been his protector. Ivan was using the Gold Energem to continue his mission. And Philip….Philip was helpless to do anything.

* * *

"Hey, kid!" He heard Thomas's voice calling out to someone just as he saw Chase's sister come into view. She'd spotted Chase on the ground and was rushing in to help. Unfortunately, two Vivix saw her at the same time. "Chloe, _stop_!" Chase yelled. There was a burst of light and energy, and then Chase was on his back, moaning in pain, clutching his arm.

"She's important to the black ranger!" Philip heard Fury yell. "Get the girl!"

Philip saw Thomas try to rush in and end up with his hands full of Vivix. Everyone else was fighting something. That left…

 _Me. It has to be me._ Chloe Randall was in danger, and he was her only hope. If Fury got his hands on that little girl… He heard Chase cry Chloe's name, desperate now, as Fury threw Tyler out of the way and advanced her direction.

He remembered what he'd told Chase. _Sacrifice_. Energem or not, he wasn't about to let that monster hurt a little girl. Not if he could do something about it. He wasn't the same helpless prince he'd been the first time around.

With a yell, Philip burst from his hiding place and entered the battlefield. It gave him great pleasure to knock his robot out of the way with a good solid kick to its' head. He dodged a Vivix, and then, he was at Chloe's side. "Come with me!" he yelled, grabbing her hand. Chloe gripped it, and Philip pulled her to her feet and took off, shielding her from a blast of laser fire. He ran with her until they were a safe distance away. Seconds later, Chase met them, breathing heavily. He grabbed Chloe by the shoulders. "Oh God. Chloe! Are you okay?" He checked her over from head to toe. "You're okay?"

She nodded weakly. "Yeah," she said.

Thomas came over to meet them, and Philip nodded to him. He looked at Chase, who got the message. "Chloe, he's going to take you back to the museum."

"What about you?" she cried. "I don't want to leave you here!"

"I'll be fine, I swear," he promised her. "I need you to be safe first, all right?" When Chloe nodded, Thomas picked her up and Chase squeezed her hand. "I'll see you in a little while."

"Is that a promise?" she asked him.

Chase nodded. "Swear," he replied, and then Thomas was running away. Chase turned to Philip and engulfed him in a hug. "Thank you, thank you thank you, thank you," he breathed. "You have _no_ idea."

"I'm glad she's all right," Philip replied seriously. "I knew you could handle things but…you were busy, so…"

"No, I owe you one," Chase told him. "She almost _died_. If Fury had gotten his hands on her…." He shuddered. "Too bad that Energem doesn't seem to like you," he told Philip. "You seem pretty worthy of it to me."

Philip barely had time to register something small and gray flying toward him, before catching it in his outstretched hand. The force knocked him to his back on the grass, and he felt a burst of energy grip his entire body. He went rigid. He saw a burst of gray light before his eyes, and then Chase was helping him to his feet. "Congratulations, mate," Chase told him.

Philip felt…stronger. He looked down in his palm. The Graphite Energem glowed brightly. "It _chose_ me?" he said incredulously.

"Energem very smart," Koda said, coming over to him with a happy grin.

Something materialized in Philip's other hand, and he looked down to see the futuristic yellow pistol that the others used to morph in his fingers.

" _You?_ " The voice belonged to Fury. " _You're_ a Ranger?" Fury growled. Then, he smirked. "Not for long."

 _Finally_. Philip turned to Tyler. "Is it morphing time?" he demanded.

"You bet it is," Tyler told him.

"Follow our lead," Koda offered, but to his-and everyone else's surprise- Philip was already on it.

* * *

"Graphite Energem!" Philip thrust the gem out in front of him, staring directly into Fury's eyes. "Energize!" He dropped the gem into the chamber and spun the barrel. "Unleash the Power!" He pointed the gun straight up in the air, and pulled the trigger. Gray light engulfed him. Seconds later, Philip stood alongside the others, in a suit and helmet of dark gray. "Graphite Power Ranger!" he announced. He looked at Fury. "I have an eight hundred year old score to settle for my family," he growled.

"You'll have to pass a little test first!" Fury replied, stepping aside to let the G-BO robot charge.

Philip sighed. "Somehow I figured this wasn't going to be easy," he said, and then, the robot was on him.

"Prince Philip!" he heard Ivan call, but Philip waved him away. "I've got this," he told him.

"If you should need me, Your Highness," Ivan told him, "you need but to call."

"Thank you, Sir Ivan, but I can handle this on my own," Philip replied. With that, he attacked the robot in force.

Ivan watched with interest. "Indeed you can, Sire," he agreed, and then turned, looking for Fury.

* * *

Philip ducked and rolled out of the way of one of the robot's punches. "This new power is great…but there's nothing worse than fighting your own creation," he lamented. "I brought you to Amber Beach," he told it, "and I'm going to take you out!" He powered a kick into the robot's chest, then followed up with a sweeping kick the robot jumped over. The robot fired at him and Philip flipped out of the way. "I never should've given you such long-lasting batteries!" _The battery pack. If I can remove it…_ Philip ran toward the robot and jumped, putting both hands on the robot's shoulders and vaulting over the top of him. He grabbed the battery pack with both hands and pulled. The robot twisted and reached backwards for him, throwing him to the ground.

"Attack Ranger," G-BO announced in monotone. It fired at him again, and Philip rolled out of the way. He came to his feet and advanced on the robot, using a sequence Thomas had taught him. He drove the robot back but it came at him again. "Attack Ranger."

Under his helmet, Philip rolled his eyes. "You already said that," he told it. A shadow loomed over their fight, and Philip gasped as he saw two giant Vivix above his head. One of them lashed out a foot, and he didn't see how it happened, but what he did see was Tyler, in his Red uniform, crash into a stack of cinder blocks and go down _hard_.

His morpher chimed on his belt, and Philip rolled away from G-BO long enough to answer it. To his surprise, he saw Miss Morgan. "You're the museum director," he realized. "You-"

"Yes, I know you've got the Graphite Energem," Miss Morgan's voice cut him off. "Tyler's been hurt, and the others need you to call your Zord."

"But how-"

"Just throw your Dino Charger. _Now_." Her tone left no room for argument. Philip clipped his morpher back on his belt and pulled out his Dino Charger. A small #8 was painted on the side. "Dino Charger…ready! Summon PachyZord!" He threw it up and into the air with every bit of strength he had left.

There was a pause. And then, a roar. He looked up, felt the ground rumble, and then a silver, black and gold Pachysaur ran over the top of him, swinging a long mace-like tail toward the two Vivix. "Whoa," Philip gasped. "That's _my_ Zord?" He grinned. "Amazing."

And then G-BO was on him and he didn't have time to be amazed anymore. "If my Zord can take on those creatures, I should be able to handle one simple robot." He turned to face the robot, who was coming at him again. "Graphite Power. Dino Punch!"

He didn't see how it happened, but with one final "Error," the G-BO robot exploded into a thousand pieces.

"You pack quite a punch," Tyler teased him as they came up to him. He was limping a little, but otherwise all right. Philip was amazed at how much damage the suits could protect from.

"And you meet your PachyZord," Koda said, putting a hand on Philip's shoulder.

"Indeed I have," Philip agreed. He turned to the others. "This is incredible!"

He'd done it. He'd proven himself worthy of the Energem. And the Power had never felt so good.

 _He'd_ never felt so good.

* * *

The next morning, Philip was together with the Rangers outside the museum. Thomas was sleeping in. Philip had bitten back a grin when Thomas said it had been too much for an old man to handle, and that Philip seemed like he could take care of himself. Now, he sat on a concrete bench and watched Chase attempt to teach Chloe to skateboard. He had to admit, Chloe could stand on the contraption much better than he probably could.

A van honked, and they looked up to see a woman gesturing to Chloe and tap her watch. "Oh…I have to go already?" Chloe said unhappily. She handed something to Chase. "Hurry, before I have to go. Open this."

Chase ripped the paper off. "It's plane tickets so you can come see me and Mum over Christmas!" Chloe said enthusiastically. "That way it won't be so long until I see you again!"

"Chloe, this might just be the best present I ever got," Chase told her. He picked her up and gave her a hug, then set her down. "Thank you." He glanced backwards at Philip. "And…you may have another thank you to get outta the way before you go?"

Chloe grinned. "Right!" She ran up to Philip and threw herself in his arms, catching him off guard. "Thank you for saving me, Philip," she told him.

Philip looked at the others, who were all smiling or nodding in approval. He hugged Chloe back. "You're most welcome," he told her. "You'd best get a move on, or your ride will leave without you!" Chloe let go and ran toward the van, Chase following her down. As the van drove off, Tyler and the others stood. "Let's give him a minute," Tyler suggested, and Philip followed him, Shelby, Koda and Riley around the corner of the museum. "Well, Philip, since you're one of us now, it's only fair that you get to see the top secret Ranger base!" Tyler grinned.

"Your base of operations is here at the museum?" Philip nodded. "Ingenious."

"It makes for a great cover story," Shelby agreed.

"And helps with the sudden interest in dinosaurs for everybody," Riley agreed.

Philip glanced around. "So how does one enter?"

Koda clapped him on the back. "Follow me!" he told him, as he climbed up a pile of boxes into a mock up of a giant T-Rex jaw. He positioned himself on the tongue, facing away from the group. Then, he yanked on one of the teeth and disappeared.

Ivan glanced at Philip's suit and tie. "Sire, if you do not choose to enter this way, there is a second-"

"Are you kidding, Sir Ivan?" Philip grinned, shedding his jacket and rolling up his sleeves. Without another word, he clambered to the top of the boxes and pulled the tooth. The floor opened below him and he slid down a short ways, landing on his feet inside the base. He had just moved out of the way when he was followed by Riley and the others. Koda was laughing. Standing next to Koda was Miss Morgan, and next to her-

"What is _that_?" Philip gaped. He barely registered the others coming to a stop behind him.

"This Keeper," Koda introduced the alien-looking creature. "He hide Energems in dinosaurs."

"Dinosaurs worthy of protecting the energems," Keeper spoke, coming up to Philip. "Very much like you, Prince Philip. Your courage in the face of danger allowed the Graphite Energem to see the real you."

 _If only the rest of the world could see that. "_ I wish I could stay here, with all of you."

"Royalty has its' own responsibilities," Shelby said knowingly.

Suddenly, Philip knew. He couldn't hide forever. It was time to return home to face the music. Deal with the bad press. _One mission at a time_. "I will keep the Graphite Energem safe," he promised them. "I leave the Graphite Chargers and the PachyZord in your care. If you _ever_ need my assistance, though," he continued, looking at all of them, "you have but to call. I will return."

"Just leave the robot in Zandar next time?" Chase suggested, and Philip grinned.

Philip looked around, memorizing every detail of the underground lab. "I will do that," he said. He frowned. "Now…if someone could kindly show me the exit? I'm assuming one doesn't have to climb back up the slide?"

* * *

The flight felt shorter this time. Perhaps it was because Philip wasn't exactly looking forward to what was waiting for him on the ground in Zandar. Next to him in first class, Thomas was looking out the window as they crossed from Germany into Zandar. "How you feeling, Philip?" he asked. He'd dropped the sir with the rental car. They'd been through too much together.

Philip sighed. "I don't know." He glanced over at Thomas. "But if I can rescue a little girl and bond with an energem, I can handle this."

He glanced down at the energem in his hand. It glowed back at him. "At least, I hope so."


	14. Chapter 14

The press swarmed the castle doors like flies to honey. Thomas kept up a ranting tirade against them as he helped escort Philip through, with Martin's help. Philip, for his part, kept his head low and his hand firmly gripped around the Energem in his pocket. _I refuse to lose it again._ Thomas managed to wrench open the door partway and Philip ducked inside the castle. In the halls, it was quiet, and Philip closed his eyes in relief.

"Prince Philip! You're back!" The voice belonged to Margaret and it was a welcome one. Philip gave his assistant a hug and she blinked in surprise. He glanced around the hall. _I'm home_. Then, he turned to Margaret. "All right. Fill me in."

She bit her lip. "Well, the press is having a field day, as you can see by the horde outside." She spit out the word 'horde' like it tasted bad, and Philip chuckled. "As to your…domestic situation…"

"Divorce, Margaret. Say it like it is," he told her wearily. "How many tabloids have decided I'm having an affair with Kate Middleton?"

"Two," Margaret reported. "Several are convinced you're dating an actress in Hollywood, which is why you were in America."

Philip looked over at Thomas and Martin with a smile. "If they only knew the truth," he said quietly. "Margaret, if you would, find me a copy of any of the press I've received since the news broke and put it on my desk." He pushed up his sleeves. "It's time I returned to my duties as Prince of Zandar, I think."

"Until the next monster appears in California," muttered Thomas under his breath.

Philip grinned. "Indeed." He nodded to Martin and Margaret. "I'll be in my office." With the grin still on his face, he went into his office and closed the door behind him.

Margaret stared at the door for a few moments, then turned to Thomas. "What _happened_ while you were gone?" she asked him in disbelief.

Thomas only grinned. "You know, I think he found his sense of purpose," he offered. "Our prince is quite the young man. I'll be by tomorrow morning for his lesson." With a nod to both Martin and Margaret he turned and walked away.

Martin looked at Margaret. "Are you planning on telling Philip about the-"

"Not yet," Margaret cut in. She gestured to the big oak doors. "I've never seen him like this. He's so happy. Let's wait."

Martin shook his head. "I don't like it."

"Neither do I, Martin, but I don't want to ruin this either," Margaret told him. She sat down at her desk. "Give him a day or two."

"When did you start giving me orders as head of security?" Martin asked her, raising an eyebrow.

She smiled. "You can veto me if you like," she offered. "But I have a feeling that you feel the same way. Martin, you've been like his father since he died…Philip's so happy right now…do you really want to tell him about what's been happening?"

Martin's eyes trailed to the doors. Then, he sighed. "All right, I'll leave it for today. Tomorrow…tomorrow he has to know."

* * *

Inside his office, Philip tugged the Graphite Energem out of his pocket and studied it. He felt a slight electric buzz run from his fingers down his arm. _Incredible_. He sat down at his desk, holding it in front of him. "I can't believe it," he said out loud to himself. Then, he laughed. "I can't _believe_ it!" It was tempting to morph right there in his office, just to feel the rush! He tossed his suit jacket over the lounger and propped his feet up on his desk. He'd managed to bond to the Energem, help defeat a monster (okay, a robot, and his own at that, but still), save a little girl, and become a hero.

 _Just like Sir Ivan_. _I always wanted to be just like him. And now I am,_ he thought with a smile, _in a much closer way than I ever thought_!

His eyes caught a gold picture frame sitting at the corner of his desk. The photo was an older one of him and his mother and father. He could have been no more than six. It was a formal portrait, but one he'd always liked, simply because his parents had looked so happy. _I wonder if they'd be happy now_ , he thought. _Mother and Father, your son is a super hero._

 _Your son is also a divorcee_ , his mind reminded him. He sighed and set the Energem down on the desk. There was a stack of paperwork on the side of his desk, his phone was blinking that he had messages to return…

_I am the Graphite Power Ranger. But I am also Prince Philip III of Zandar._

_Hopefully, I can balance being both_.

* * *

When Margaret came in a few minutes later with the requested literature he'd asked for, Philip was asleep on his desk, one hand outstretched toward the photo.

Margaret smiled softly. She set down the magazine and newspaper articles, then took the photo frame in her hands. She laid it down on the desk and gently put his hand on top of it. He shifted in his sleep and she hesitated, but then, he was still again.

 _Sleep well tonight, Philip_ , she thought to herself. _Tomorrow… may not be so restful._ As she left his office, Martin pulled up her chair and sat down just outside the doors. He gave her a nod, and she left for the evening.

* * *

_Outside, just past the castle gates, they waited until security had walked their perimeter before poking their head out to stare at the window in the bottom corner of the castle. The heavy shades were drawn but he was definitely in there._

_And he had to come out sometime._

_He couldn't stay in that office forever._

* * *

Philip opened his bedroom door still adjusting his tie, and was surprised to see Martin standing outside. "Good morning, Sire," Martin nodded to him and bowed shortly.

"Good morning, Martin," Philip said, frowning. "Did you need something?" He knotted his tie and gestured to the hallway. "I'm not often greeted by my head of security this early in the morning." He smiled. "I don't think I've done anything in the past eight hours to merit a security detail…have I?"

Martin wasn't smiling back, and Philip was instantly on alert. He slipped a hand into his pants pocket to feel the Graphite Energem sitting against the material. "What's the matter?" he asked Martin.

Martin was all business. "If you'd allow me to accompany you to your office this morning, Sire," Martin said formally.

"Of course," Philip replied, totally confused. "Are you planning on informing me of why I need a detail to walk down the hall?"

Martin nodded. "Yes, Sire. But I would prefer to do it somewhere other than in the hall."

Philip inclined his head and started forward. He noticed Martin kept himself between Philip and the windows all the way to his office. Margaret was sitting at her desk, and she stood when they walked into the anteroom. "Good morning," Philip greeted her, and she noticed the tension in his voice.

"Good morning, Philip," she responded. She exchanged a look with Martin. "One moment." He watched her disappear into his office and come out a moment later. She nodded to Martin and Martin held the door, gesturing for Philip to go inside.

Philip stepped into his office. The drapes had been drawn, pitching the room into darkness. Margaret flicked the light on and gestured for Philip to sit down. Philip eyed the two of them as he perched on the edge of his desk. "All right. What on earth is going on?" he demanded. He spread his arms. "What's the need for all the secrecy?" _Had Thomas told them something about what happened in California? Because if that was the case…he could take care of himself!_

Margaret dug into the pile of news clippings she'd left on his desk the night before and pulled one from the stack. She handed it to Philip wordlessly.

Philip scanned the article. "This is just some tabloid drivel about mine and Annabeth's divorce," he said, tossing the paper to the desk. "I don't understand-"

"Philip!" Margaret interrupted him and Philip paused, taken aback. Martin walked up to the desk and snatched the paper off, thrusting it into his face.

"You need to look at the picture, Sire," Martin urged him.

Philip looked at the accompanying photo. It took him a moment…but then he understood. The photo had been taken shortly before he'd left for California.

It was him in his _bedroom_. Clothed, thank God, but too close for comfort. Philip looked at Martin. "How did this happen?" he demanded. There had been photos of him before, sure, out in public, but never something this…intimate. It unnerved him that someone had gotten that close to security..and for a picture? There had to be an ulterior motive.

Martin shook his head. "I have had everyone on it since you left for the US, Philip. No one saw anything. Cameras didn't pick up anything suspicious."

Philip pinched the bridge of his nose. "Have there been any others?" Then, he had a horrifying thought. "Did someone follow us to California?" he gasped. Images of his new friends and their mission flashed in his mind. _Oh God. If someone photographed me…us…._

Martin shook his head. "If they have, nothing has been published." Philip let out an audible breath. "Sire, I've not had a security breach of this magnitude since I took over security for your father." He closed his eyes. "I am truly sorry."

Philip slid off his desk and went around to drop into his chair. "It's all right, Martin. It's not your fault." He looked at the two of them. "I'm afraid I caused all this."

"That's a load of bunk," Margaret said staunchly. " _Annabeth_ is surely behind this. Trying to get someone close enough to catch you doing something…."

 _Like morphing into a Power Ranger?_ He was glad he hadn't morphed yesterday in his office! He smiled at Margaret, grateful for her support. "I suppose for the near future I'll need to stay close to home," he decided. He looked at Martin. "No outside engagements unless absolutely necessary, Martin." He looked around at the walls of his office. "I've gone under temporary house arrest," he said. "Martin, we need to question the ex-Secretary of Antiquities and his daughter." He shook his head. "It may be Margaret is correct and this is Annabeth's way of trying to stir something up, or this could be revenge on her father's part for my firing of him. Either way," Philip sat up and clasped his hands together on his desk, "it would appear they have the upper hand."

"For now," Martin said quietly, and Philip nodded his head in agreement.

"By the way, sire," Margaret said. "On a complete different note…I received a notice on the account for a plane ticket from San Francisco to Auckland, New Zealand?"

Philip chuckled. "My apologies for going over your head with that one," he apologized. "Please make sure it gets placed under my personal expense account when it clears," he told her.

"Are you going to tell me what it was for?" She raised an eyebrow. "Planning a trip to New Zealand, Philip?"

He smiled, recalling the look of happiness on Chloe Randall's face. "No," he told Margaret truthfully. "I think I've had enough traveling for awhile." His face fell. _What am I going to do if the Rangers need me again?_


	15. Chapter 15

_To: (private)_

_From: dinoitall_

_Hi Philip!_

_Hope everything is going good for you. We're busy packing our bags for New Zealand! Chase got a care package from his mom and his sister-some tabloid thing from Auckland, where he's from-with this picture of one of Sledge's ships. So we're all going Down Under to check it out! Sure wish you could join us._

_Shelby_

"I wish I could," Philip said out loud to his empty office. He clicked the small rubbish bin icon and closed his personal email. It had been almost two weeks and he hadn't left the castle. Were it not for his daily workouts with Thomas, he would be going insane. Martin, Margaret and Thomas had a close watch on the tabloids and the grounds, but the sneak photographer had not made another attempt. Rumors _were_ swirling, however, on why he hadn't been seen in public, everything from an infectious disease picked up with his rendezvous with his American actress girlfriend in the States to a very heavy drinking problem. Margaret fended off the media with the usual "no comment" and Philip himself issued a statement assuring the public of Zandar that he was in fact, in perfect health, just catching up on some end of the year budgeting-something he admittedly wasn't good with and the press knew it.

Martin had confronted Annabeth and her father. Both of them, naturally, denied that they knew anything about the photo taken of him. No new photos cropped up with the increased security, but in response, there seemed to be more stories about him in the papers. _You can't win_ , Philip thought, as he sat at his desk, staring at his computer. The Graphite Energem was sitting on the desk near his computer mouse. The gem's presence made him feel more secure, somehow, even with things falling apart. His public image was waning. The people of Zandar were starting to lapse back into seeing him as his eighteen-year-old self, the young prince playboy who didn't know how to run a country.

"I can't stay in here forever!" he exploded to Thomas one morning during a sparring session. He reached back and drove a fist into the pad on Thomas's hand. "I cannot continue to live my life in fear. Otherwise, this person has won!" A foot connected with the pad.

"I agree with you," Thomas replied, making Philip pause in his rant.

"What?"

Thomas shrugged. "I've been talking to Martin for _days_ trying to get him to let you out of the door."

Philip pulled the tape from his left hand as he walked over to his desk. "And?"

There was a ripping sound as Thomas pulled the Velcro backing from the pad and tossed it on the lounger. "You have an appearance at the Children's Hospital on Friday," he said. "Apparently, it took a lot of convincing on Margaret's part to get them to agree to it. Something about your ex-wife-"

Philip rolled his eyes and muttered a choice word in French. Thomas snorted. "Anyway, she got him to agree to it, and Martin has gone over security plans with them like a mad scientist with his latest creation. The President of the United States could visit along with you for all the details he's done."

Philip pushed himself off his desk and clapped Martin breathlessly on the shoulder. "Thank you!" he gasped. He laughed. "You have no idea how wonderful it will be to get out of here, even for the afternoon." A thought occurred to him. "This could be a good chance to pull this person out of the woodwork as well," he told Thomas. "Has Martin told the press where I will be?"

Thomas frowned. "No. But-"

Philip jogged over to his desk and paged Margaret. "Can you find Martin and bring him here? I have an idea I'd like to discuss with the two of you." He looked at Thomas. "The _three_ of you."

* * *

"Out of the question!" Martin raged. "Absolutely _not_!"

"Why not?" Philip countered calmly. Margaret was on the lounger, Martin seated in front of him at the desk, and Thomas stood by Philip's side as Philip offered his plan to his head of security. "If we want a way to pull this paparazzi worm out of the woodwork, what better opportunity than a public appearance?"

"What's to say this isn't some paparazzo and it's some terrorist, Philip?" Martin countered. "I'm not going to endanger your life just to put this person in prison!"

"I can't stay here forever, Martin," Philip pointed out. _And if a call comes in from California, I'm gone no matter_ what _you say._ "People are losing faith in their leader," he told him. "I'm cut off. Elusive. Apparently, I also have some kind of infectious disease and I'm dying." Margaret smiled thinly and Philip looked at her. "Besides, the budget meeting is next week and my part is done, so we cannot continue to use that as an excuse."

"I'd rather they write tabloid drivel about you than write your obituary!" Martin countered.

Philip sighed. "Martin, I have the best security team in Europe," he assured him. "I'm not especially keen on offering myself as bait for this person either," he added honestly. "But this person cannot dictate my life for the rest of my life. I cannot sit here and do nothing, just on the off chance that if I do _something_ this person will twist it back on me-they're already roasting me in the papers!"

"He's got a point," Thomas spoke up quietly from off his shoulder, and Martin looked up at him from his chair. Thomas crossed his arms over his chest. "While I don't approve of the method of choice," he muttered, glancing at Philip, "if we have the local law enforcement along with his personal security detail, that puts a lot of eyes out there. Chances are _someone_ will spot something. Even if it ends up a tabloid headliner the next day, between angle of the photo or _something_ , we should be able to determine who it was. The hospital has outside security cameras and the officers have new cameras on their body armor now." He smiled. "And Philip is well-adept to knowing what will work with his security and what won't." His eyes drifted to the desk, where Philip's Energem sat.

"I could offer it out to the capital paper," Margaret said after a moment. "If we limit where the information about the appearance comes from, we can help narrow down the sources of a possible leak if it happens."

Martin turned to her. "You're all insane," he said incredulously.

"But we're also correct," Philip told Martin. "If you have any other ideas, I'm open to suggestions," he explained. "But also know this, I'm not planning on living my life inside these four walls forever, so whether it happens now, when we have some control over it, or later, if I just decide to jump ship…I'm getting out of this office!"

Martin threw his hands in the air. "This is madness," he declared. He glared at Philip. Philip, to his credit, met his gaze and didn't waver. "Fine," he relented. He looked at Margaret. "I need a list of everyone you plan on giving this information to." He looked at Philip and Thomas. "And then you and I are going over security protocols for this visit so you know them up, down and backwards."

Philip grinned, his blue eyes alight. "I'll be a good student," he promised Martin, with a wink at Thomas.

* * *

_To: dinoitall_

_From: (private)_

_Hello Shelby,_

_I wondered how you made out with your trip to New Zealand? I admit I scoured the New Zealand Herald for news but saw nothing that indicated you ran into any trouble. I'm sorry I wasn't able to join you Down Under. Please tell the others hello for me, and I hope I will see you all soon._

_Philip_

_To: (private)_

_From: dinoitall_

_Philip OMG you won't believe what happened while we were in New Zealand! So we found this guy named Albert, who like, is totally crazy but really nice (long story). He's old enough to be my grandpa! Anyway, it turns out he had the Purple Energem and he was morphing into the Purple Ranger, going around Auckland and helping people. Small stuff, no monsters (at least, not until Sledge heard about him too). Anyway, we now have the Purple Energem AND the PlesioZord! I still can't believe it! We met this paleontologist named Dr. Runga (you should Google him or whatever you have in Zandar) and at first he was a real jerk but he helped us track down the Plesiosaur. She's AMAZING!_

_Eight Energems down, two to go!_

_Shelby_

"Fantastic!" Philip pounded a fist on his desk. He'd just finished Shelby's email and was as excited for the discovery of the Purple Energem as his US teammates. Based on Shelby's correspondence, he knew there were two left: Aqua and Silver. Someone had the Aqua, as the Ankylzord was in the Ranger arsenal and alive and kicking, but he'd not heard anything on the Silver.

"What's got you so excited?" Margaret asked as she came into his office. Philip's head snapped up and he minimized his email. She handed him the final itinerary for the hospital visit. He flicked through it idly-he had the entire packet memorized. Martin had practically drilled it into him.

"Just some good news from a friend," Philip said smoothly. He tapped the papers on his desk and set them down. "It's about that time, isn't it?"

Margaret nodded and bit her lip. "Martin is waiting for you, along with Thomas. The hospital is anxiously awaiting your arrival."

Philip stood up from his desk and straightened his tie. He studied his suit jacket, then decided to leave it on the chair. He would be with children. He wanted to feel relaxed. "You seem worried," he told his assistant.

"You don't seem to be, so someone should be," Margaret countered, and Philip laughed softly. "Believe me, I am plenty concerned," he promised her. He put his hands on her shoulders. "But I'll be fine. I'm in good hands."

Margaret nodded, but she didn't seem convinced. Her eyes widened. "Before I forget," she told him, "the hospital director is wondering if you'd be interested in reading a story to the children?"

Philip smiled. "Absolutely." Then, he had a thought. "Would it be all right if I…sort of made up one?"

Margaret frowned, confused. "I-ah…I suppose that would be fine…"

"Excellent." Philip clapped his hands together and rubbed them. "All right. Let's get this show on the road, shall we?"

Margaret gestured to the door, and Philip strode past her to the outer office, where Martin was waiting.

* * *

"Prince Philip, it's a pleasure."

 _You certainly don't sound like it,_ Philip thought to himself through a forced smile and a handshake with the hospital's director of public relations. "Thank you for inviting me," he replied, with all the polish of a practiced royal. "I'm only sorry I couldn't fulfill my obligation earlier." It was a thinly veiled apology for Annabeth's behavior months ago, and he hoped the director understood.

"The children are waiting," the director, a salt-and-pepper haired man named David Franklin, pointed down the hall. "Shall we?"

Philip nodded. With Martin and Thomas sandwiching him between them, he followed Director Franklin down the hall to the wide open Children's Wing. He'd never been here before and was sufficiently impressed with the layout. Floor to ceiling windows on two walls of the room, bright yellow and green paint and carpeting. Sitting in a semi-circle on bright blue couches, about fifteen children were waiting, staring wide-eyed at the approaching Prince of Zandar. Philip glanced around. Two were in wheelchairs. A few were sitting on their own on the floor, tethered to IV poles. Others were being held by what seemed to be parents or volunteers. Philip waited a moment as the photographers got their shots, then, to everyone's surprise, sat down on the floor, cross-legged. "Hello, everyone," he greeted them, looking around the circle. He got a few small waves. "I'm Prince Philip, and I'm very honored to meet all of you today."

He chose to focus on a little boy with a an IV line taped to his arm. "You're a hero," he told him, and the boy's eyes widened. He turned to a little girl. "And you're a hero," he told her. He smiled when she buried her face in the arms of the volunteer holding her. Philip pointed around the circle. "Everyone here is a hero. Do you know why?"

They all shook their heads. "Because you are facing down an enemy," he told them, "and you're _winning."_ He glanced up at Thomas, who nodded encouragingly. "I have a story for you today of Sir Ivan of Zandar. Have any of you heard of him?" A few nods, more shaking heads.

Philip launched into Ivan's story, hoping the Gold Ranger wouldn't mind him embellishing a little of it. "Sir Ivan never stopped fighting the great beast named Fury," he finished a few minutes later. "And in the end, he defeated him." He returned his gaze to the little boy sitting immediately in front of him. "I see much of Sir Ivan in all of you," he told them. "You are brave and strong. I know you will defeat the enemies you are facing with your courage and your strength."

The little boy broke into a huge grin, and Philip returned it with a warm smile. The kids applauded. Several of the adults were clapping as well. Philip looked up at Thomas and swore he saw tears pricking the older man's eyes.

An older teenage girl held a piece of paper out for him, and Philip produced a pen from his pocket and signed his name with a flourish for her. Then, he borrowed a mobile phone from one of the nursing staff and took a photo with her. He stayed about twenty minutes more, talking to everyone and posing for photos. Then, he saw Martin tap his watch and knew it was time. He turned to Director Franklin. Under his breath, he said, "Expect a donation for the hospital to show up in a few days," he told him. The older man nodded, and to Philip's surprise, wrapped him in a firm hug. Philip coughed and returned it. He waved to the children a final time, and then Thomas and Martin marched him from the room.

* * *

"Well done, Philip," Martin whispered to him as they walked toward the entrance. As soon as they reached the automatic doors, the hairs on the back of Philip's neck stood straight up. He wondered if the Graphite Energem, firmly in his shirt pocket, added the extra jolt of adrenaline he felt. Thomas must have felt him stiffen. "Are you all right?" he whispered.

Philip swallowed. "I don't know. Let's get to the car, please." He kept the smile plastered on his face as he waved to the small media crowd that had been informed of his itinerary. Martin and Thomas ushered him to the black Lincoln town car with the flag of Zandar painted on the door. Philip slid into the back and Thomas followed. Martin climbed into the passenger seat up front and nodded to the driver. The car pulled away, and Philip breathed a sigh of relief.

"Everything all right back there?" Martin asked Philip.

Philip leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes. "Something didn't feel right back there," he admitted. "Let's just get back to the castle, please."

"You'll get no arguments from me," Martin told him. Philip kept his eyes closed and tried to shake the unnerving feeling he had.

It was not to be. "The black Audi back there has been tailing us since the hospital," Thomas announced a few minutes later." He was turned in his seat, looking out the back window.

Philip's eyes snapped open. "What?" He craned his neck backwards to look.

"Make a right," Martin instructed the driver. The car signaled and turned. Thomas watched. The Audi followed. "Yeah, it's definitely tailing. Always stays a few cars back, but it's there," he told Martin. "Might i suggest we call the police?"

"You might," Martin said. "But I'd rather this not turn into a Princess Diana chase."

Philip's heart started to beat a little quicker and he felt his palms sweat. _All the power in the world... The Graphite Energem in his pocket_... But it couldn't help him now.

"Speed up a bit," Martin said. "Take the roundabout here, we'll exit off King Lionel Street and go in the back way to the castle. Have the police meet us there." He spoke with the calm detachment of someone who had been arranging security for royalty for years.

The town car entered the roundabout and circled the fountain. Martin had his eyes glued to either the side mirror or the rearview, watching the Audi, still hanging back a few cars, but always within sight. Thomas held the secured mobile phone to his ear and relayed Martin's instructions to the local police. Philip stayed silent, hands clenched in his lap. The Graphite gem was going to be permanently etched into his palm. His mind flashed back to Amber Beach and Fury, the day he'd ambushed the motorcade. He'd felt this helpless then. Now, he had the means to do something about it and couldn't. _Not without arousing a lot of questions_.

The car exited the roundabout and rolled down King Lionel. The driver put on a bit more speed, hoping to get some distance between the Audi and them, or lose them completely before the other car could leave the roundabout.

"Good effort," Thomas announced, "but they're still there." He looked at Philip worriedly. "We could use your friends right about now," he muttered under his breath.  
Philip smiled thinly. "Indeed," he agreed. His fingers rolled the gem in his hand. _We're nearly there_ , he thought to himself.

"I think we've made him mad," Martin noted. "He's speeding up. Alvin, take a left up here." The tires on the Lincoln squealed and Philip put a hand up on the roof of the car to brace himself. He could see the headlights of the other car filling the rearview now.

"This is getting out of hand, Martin," Thomas said. "What if we stop? Between us and the guys in the car ahead, can we get him?"

"It's a thought, but we can't stop at this speed," Martin responded darkly. "We're nearly to the castle. If we can get in the gates-"

He didn't get a chance to finish the sentence. Without warning, the car behind them slammed into the Lincoln's bumper, sending the car and its' occupants fishtailing. Alvin fought for control of the car. Philip heard Thomas swear in at least two languages before the car swerved and crashed into a lamppost.


	16. Chapter 16

_Everything hurt_. There was an insistent buzzing in his ears. Philip cautiously opened one eye, then the other. _What happened?_ He remembered leaving the hospital, the black car following them, headlights… _Oh. They hit us!_ Philip surveyed the situation. The car was sitting upright, but crumpled against the lamppost it had hit. The light swayed, casting an eerie intermittent glow inside the vehicle through the shattered windows. He carefully lifted a hand to his forehead, felt something sticky working its' way down the side. The same hand drifted to his pocket. Something hard was resting against his chest, humming. _The Energem._ He breathed a sigh of relief. Miraculously, the gem hadn't fallen out or broken in the collision. _I need to get a chain for this thing or something._

Philip turned his head painfully to the left. Thomas was slumped over, his seatbelt had done its' job, but the older man's eyes were closed and he wasn't moving. "T-Thomas?" Philip rasped, reaching over with his arm and gently pushing on his friend's arm. Thomas didn't respond. "Wake up!" Philip coughed out, as loud as his lungs would let him. The sound of his voice was hollow in the car. He tried to see up front. Martin and Alvin were surrounded by the air bags. He couldn't tell if they were moving, and after calling each of their names in turn, got no response.

"I have to get us out of here," he whispered. He fought with his seatbelt and felt it fall out of the buckle. He pulled on the door handle, but the door didn't budge. _The window, then_. Wishing he had his jacket to put something between him and the broken window shards, it took him a few minutes to climb out of the window. He landed awkwardly on the ground on his right arm, crying out. He crawled to a sitting position outside the car, breathing heavily. He looked around. He could hear sirens coming.

He looked around, finding it hard to focus. The black Audi that had been following them was nowhere to be found. _But somewhere, there's going to be a black Audi with front-end damage_ , he reassured himself. He climbed painfully to his feet and went to work trying to get the passenger side door open to pull Martin from the car. The doors were stuck, probably jammed from the collision. _I can't tell if he's alive or dead_ , Philip thought worriedly. _This whole thing was my idea. I need to get him out of there…I need to…_

He pulled the Energem from his pocket and looked around. _This is a huge risk but…I can't just leave them in that car._ "Unleash the power!" he cried out, and saw a flash of gray light before the suit and helmet covered his body. The Power was buzzing through him and he took a step toward the car, then he gripped the handle and the side mirror…and pulled. The door creaked, groaned, and then he heard it wrench off the hinges. "Yes!" He demorphed and _oh God, now everything hurt again,_ especially his arms. He reached for Martin's seatbelt but didn't make it, sagged on the ground, and that's where the police cruisers that pulled up a minute later found him, unconscious.

* * *

 _Three days later_ …

Philip stepped out of the limousine and looked slowly around the grounds. _Take a photo, you bastard. I dare you_. He turned around, his right arm still tingling from the dislocated shoulder he'd received, and reached down with his left to help Thomas slide to the edge of the seat. Philip handed him his crutches and Thomas eased himself up and out of the vehicle. The older man was still in a lot of pain, despite his physical prowess. As soon as Thomas was clear, Philip turned to the front door of the castle and took a deep breath. "Are you ready for this?" he asked Thomas.

Thomas nodded, his mouth set in a firm line. "I am. Are you?"

Philip nodded. "More than ready," he told his friend. The two of them started walking together as Martin's security team (minus Martin, who was still in the hospital) surrounded them and led them up to the doors. Margaret was waiting, and it was clear she'd been crying. The second they hit the stairs, the press swarmed. Microphones invaded his vision. He heard every variation on the question, "What the hell happened to you?"

Philip gestured for Thomas to go inside. He then stood tall, looking out over the sea of reporters. _I'm right here. Come get me._ "Thank you for your concern," he spoke clearly , and the din died down so they could hear him. "While my administrative assistant has yet to write up a formal statement, I think I can handle this one." He paused for a moment. "Three days ago I was returning from King Philip Children's Hospital when the car I was riding in was hunted down and crashed into a light pole. I have sustained a dislocated shoulder, and while I was lucky...others on my staff were not as fortunate. Palace Chief of Security Martin d'Urban is currently still at King Lionel Hospital recovering from injuries he sustained in the impact. Thomas Leary, my personal bodyguard and very good friend, has a broken foot and a possible concussion. My driver…" Philip paused, taking a breath. His voice couldn't waver. Not now. "Alvin Lourdes has, tragically, succumbed to his injuries and is no longer with us. My heartfelt condolences are extended to his wife and funeral arrangements are pending. Rest assured he will be buried with the Zandarian Cross."

He found a television camera and glared directly into it. "To the animal who decided Alvin's life was worth feeding lies and pictures to the tabloids, know this: I will not rest until you are found and brought to justice. It would be in your best interest to turn yourself in. There will be no corner of this country-or any other-that you can hide from us." His cobalt eyes were on fire as he finished his statement, steel in his voice. "As far as I am concerned: you are Zandarian Public Enemy Number One." With that final statement, he brushed past Margaret and went indoors.

* * *

A moment later, Margaret ducked inside amid the lights of flashbulbs and yelling reporters. She slammed the door shut. "Vultures," she swore. "And no doubt someone will take that speech you just made-a very well done speech, I might compliment you-and twist it into something awful." She pinched the bridge of her nose.

"How are you?" Philip asked her gently. His assistant looked exhausted. No doubt between worry and fielding funeral arrangements and police reports and the press…It was funny, she had started off as his administrative assistant purely because he'd thought she was good-looking (albeit also highly qualified), but now, Margaret Williams was turning into one of his most trusted confidants…and friends. He wondered when that happened.

Margaret looked at him and shook her head. "Surviving," she said. "I keep telling myself that what I'm dealing with is minimal compared to what you-the both of you-have gone through."

"I've had worse," Thomas lied from his position on the bench just inside the doors.

"Take the day," Philip commanded Margaret. When she opened her mouth to protest, as he expected she would, he held up his good hand. "That's an official decree from your prince," he told her, raising an eyebrow. "This will keep until tomorrow."

Margaret stared at him. Then, she took two steps and threw her arms around him. "Thank you," she told him. Philip staggered a little, but he put his one good arm around her. "Go on," he told her. "See you tomorrow. Take the back way out. And Margaret?" he called after her as she turned back. "Thank you," he told her honestly.

She nodded, then disappeared down the hall.

Philip collapsed on the bench next to Thomas. "I feel like I was hit by a truck." He snorted. "Or stepped on by the PachyZord."

Thomas chuckled, then grimaced. "Don't make me laugh, Philip, even blinking hurts my head right now."

"You should take the day, too," Philip said. "You didn't sign on for this when you became my personal trainer. I'd say you've earned a vacation."

"What about you?" Thomas asked him, pushing himself to a more upright position and wincing as the room spun.

Philip carefully shrugged his way out of his overcoat. "The first thing I am going to do is take an entire bottle of aspirin," he began. "And then, I am going to tear this country apart to find the person that did this to us."

Thomas smiled. "I think your friend…Koda, was it? He'd be pretty damned proud of you. Koda said Energems choose the worthy, people with good hearts?" Philip nodded. "There's nobody in this country I know with a bigger one than you," he told Philip. "Your parents would be proud of you. And," he added, with a twinkle in his eye, "I think Margaret is _definitely_ damned proud of you."

Philip started. "Margaret? Don't be ridiculous, Thomas…" He shook his head as Thomas started laughing at him being so flustered. "I would hit you," he threatened, "but I don't want to hurt you more."

Thomas grinned. "The shape you're in right now, yeah? You couldn't even _make_ a fist, let alone connect."

Philip opened his mouth, closed it. "You're right," he said. "Seriously, though, Thomas, take the day. You need to rest that foot."

Thomas nodded. "I think I'll do that…my friend."

* * *

_To: (private)_

_From: dinoitall_

_Philip!_

_We all heard about your accident on Glitz World. Are you all right?!_

_Shelby_

* * *

_To: dinoitall_

_From: (private)_

_Shelby, Koda, Chase, Tyler, Ivan, Riley and Miss Morgan:_

_Thank you for your concern. I type this email with one hand at the moment as the other is connected to my shoulder, which they had to pop back into place. It's still very sore. I am well, but I cannot say the same for two of my staff. One is still in the hospital; the other…I am making arrangements for a state funeral. We've not had any leads on the person who crashed into us. We have leads out at the auto repair venues for a black vehicle with front end damage (the logical place to start as I believe Riley would say). Unfortunately, nothing has come from it so far._

_I apologize, but it looks as if my assistance in finding the final two Energems and defeating Fury and Sledge may be put on hold for a while._

_Philip_

* * *

A few days later, as he iced his shoulder and put the final touches on a statement Margaret had written for him to be read at Alvin Lourdes' funeral, his computer dinged that he had an incoming message. He double-clicked on the pop-up.

_To: (private)_

_From:director_

_Prince Philip,_

_A development has come up in the search for the Energems I thought you should be aware of, as it not only could it affect us here in Amber Beach, but it could have serious implications worldwide._

_Sledge has the Purple Energem. A grievous error on my part and a mistake I intend to correct immediately. There's no telling what he could do with that much power. You've seen what one Energem can do._

_I have created a robot called Get-Bot, who is designed to latch onto the energy frequency of an Energem. We are going to plant it on Sledge's ship and mount an attack to retrieve it. While I am confident in the other Rangers…I cannot deny that the assistance of the Graphite Ranger would be a welcome addition. I know, based on the news, that you have a lot on your plate at the moment. While it would be good to have the extra manpower, we completely understand if your duties as Prince take precedence._

_Kendall Morgan  
Museum Director_

* * *

"Sledge has an energem," Philip told Thomas later. Thomas had come by with some stretches for Philip's shoulder and some for his foot (despite the doctor telling him to just let it heal). "I don't know what to do. I know the others can probably handle it but…" He sighed. "Miss Morgan wouldn't have asked for my help if they didn't need it."

"That could mean missing Alvin's funeral," Thomas reminded him.

"I'm well aware," Philip replied. He rubbed his face. "I don't know what to do. If I go to California, there's a very real possibility I may not return to Zandar."

"Plus, if you go right before the funeral, the press is gonna assume you're going to see your hot American actress girlfriend instead of being present at the state funeral of Alvin Lourdes," Thomas added.

"You're not helping," Philip said with a small smile.

Thomas nodded. "I know." He looked at Philip. "What does that 'good heart' of yours tell you to do?"

* * *

_PRINCE PHILIP TO SEE SPECIAL SURGEON IN US_

_(Zandarian Press) Prince Philip III of Zandar will be taking an emergency trip to the United States to see a specialist regarding the shoulder injury he received in the crash that claimed the life of Alvin Lourdes, 65, almost one week ago. A representative for the prince's public affairs office was quoted as saying, "The trip comes on the recommendation of the Royal Physician, who believes the Prince may have suffered damage to the nerve endings in his shoulder; damage that could become permanent if it isn't corrected immediately." Prince Philip III is scheduled to speak at Mr. Lourdes' state funeral on Saturday, but it is unclear whether his travel itinerary will allow him to keep the commitment._

"'On the recommendation of the Royal Physician,'" Philip glanced over the press release at Margaret. "Dr. Kleinberg is on maternity leave."

Margaret nodded. "You know that, and I know that. But the press doesn't. And the doctor keeps her personal address and phone number conveniently hidden."

Philip handed it back to her. "You're a genius," he told her. "Incredible."

"I don't suppose you're going to tell me what this whirlwind trip to the United States is for?" Margaret asked him, tucking the release into a plastic cover.

He shook his head. "The less people who know, the better," he admitted to her. He could see it on her face that it upset her that she wasn't included in the secret. "Margaret," he told her, standing and coming around his desk. "You are my most personal confidant," he said. "Apart from Thomas." He put a good hand on her shoulder. "The less people I include on this secret…the less people can be hurt by it if something should happen," he said. "Someday, I hope I can tell you."

Margaret nodded. "Be careful," she said suddenly. She frowned. "I don't know why I said that. But I mean it. Take care of yourself."

He nodded. "To the best of my ability," he promised her.


	17. Chapter 17

" _Martin is out of the hospital. They managed to get the internal bleeding under control."_

Philip breathed a sigh of relief and rested his head against the window of the rental car. "That's wonderful news," he told Margaret. "Good to hear."

" _Is everything all right, Sire?_ " Margaret asked him. " _You sound….worried."_

Philip glanced sideways at Thomas, who was sitting patiently in the driver's seat, waiting for him to finish his call. "It was a long flight," he replied after a moment. "And I'm a bit worried about this 'emergency surgery' I'm about to undertake."

There was a gentle laugh on the other end of the phone. _"Well, I hope you come out of it just fine in the end,"_ Margaret told him.

Philip bit his bottom lip and closed his eyes. "As do I," he told her. "Please, keep me in the loop with Martin's condition."

" _Of course."_

Philip ended the call and looked out the window at the Amber Beach Dinosaur Museum. "Last time I was here," he told Thomas, "I feel as though I didn't do much."

"What are you talking about?" Thomas asked him. "I saw you save a little girl's life. You beat up that training robot thing like it owed you money."

Philip sighed. "The others have been doing this much longer than I have," he said. "I'm not sure if I will be as great an asset as they believe I will be."

Thomas processed that. Then, he said, "I think you won't know that until you try."

Philip nodded. Light rain was falling outside the car windows. "Well," he said slowly, "I didn't travel halfway around the world just to sit in the car, now did I?"

Thomas clapped him on the shoulder. "You'll do fine, Philip. Now go on, the world needs you."

Philip undid his seatbelt and pushed open the door. _Yes,_ he thought to himself. _No pressure there._

* * *

Philip paid the admission fee, then casually made his way toward where he remembered the inside entrance to the Ranger base to be. _Down the hall…past the T-Rex skeleton…_ The elevator was marked for DELIVERIES ONLY. Philip leaned against the wall, pretending to get a wider look at the big T-Rex skeleton in the middle of the aisle. His fingers found the button and he pressed it. There was a rumbling on his back, and the door slid back. He stepped in and closed the door, thankful the only other two people in the area-a father and his daughter-were too engrossed in the skeleton to notice him.

The elevator stopped and the doors opened out into a quiet, dimly-lit hallway. On the right there were two large metal doors. The motion sensor picked him up and it slid back, and Philip stepped into the hidden base, where, to his surprise, the others were already waiting, their attention focused on the museum director.

Miss Morgan was speaking, but looked up over Chase's shoulder as he caught her eye and smiled, pointing. "Including the Graphite Ranger," she finished with a smile, and everyone turned around in surprise.

Philip nodded to everyone with a genuine smile returned at Miss Morgan.

"Prince Philip!" Shelby was grinning. "You look great!" She frowned. "I-um, I mean, with the accident and all-"

Philip laughed and held up a hand. "I'm more or less in one piece, Shelby, thank you for your concern."

"Good to see you sire!" Ivan stepped forward and pressed one hand to his chest in salute. Philip made the 'rise' motion with his hand, keeping with Ivan's 800-year-old formality. "It will be an honor to fight alongside you again."

"The honor is mine, Sir Ivan," Philip disagreed.

"Welcome back, Prince!" Koda enthused, slapping him on the shoulder. His _right_ shoulder. Philip grimaced and Ivan shot Koda a stern look. "Oh! Sorry!" Koda apologized, frowning. He removed his hand instantly.

"It's all right, Ivan," Philip told the knight. He looked at Koda. "It's good to see you _all_ again," he told everyone, nodding also in turn to Riley, Chase and Tyler. He turned to Miss Morgan. "I'm ready."

Tones chimed throughout the base, and Philip followed everyone over to a computer setup on a stark white table. "Transport pods are entering the atmosphere," Miss Morgan announced. She looked at everyone grimly. "Now's our chance."

"Let's go," Tyler decided. "Philip, we can fill you in on the way there."

"I have a vague idea of what's happening," Philip said as he followed the others out of the base. "We're running into almost certain death."

"Wow, Prince Pessimist, thanks," Riley teased as they piled into two vehicles-Tyler's Jeep and a van borrowed from the museum. Philip followed Miss Morgan, Ivan and Koda into the van as Tyler, Shelby and Riley jumped into Tyler's Jeep. The van lurched forward and Philip closed his eyes and took a breath.

"Is everything all right, Sire?" Ivan asked him quietly.

Philip counted to ten. "I'm all right, Sir Ivan," he said. "I should have taken some more painkillers for my shoulder."

"Perhaps when this is over, I shall accompany you back to Zandar and help you find the fiend who did this to you," Ivan suggested.

Philip shook his head. "As noble as that undertaking would be, my friend, you would be hard to explain to the Zandarian public."

Ivan nodded. "Good point," he conceded.

* * *

The van followed the cloud of dust being kicked up by Tyler's vehicle out into the woods edging Amber Beach. Miss Morgan parked the van behind Tyler as they rolled to a stop. She got out, Koda following her. The Blue Ranger handed her a small metal box on wheels with an arm. "That Get-Bot," he explained at Philip's confused look. "It going to get Energem back."

"Off of Sledge's ship?" Philip asked, making sure he was up to date. Koda nodded eagerly. "Exactly how is it going to come _back_ from space?"

No one answered. Philip saw the others reach for their Dino Chargers, and he held out his own, labeled #8. _Here we go again_. He pressed the button on the top, felt the Power surge. A moment later, he was looking out at the others through the tinted visor, his body buzzing. He could still feel his shoulder, but it felt better somehow, encased in the suit.

"These are the coordinates," the only unmorphed member of the group, Miss Morgan, said, checking her handheld GPS unit.

"Yeah, but I don't see any pods," Riley said, looking around.

 _Where are they?_ Philip wondered.

Tyler spotted them first. "Eyes up, guys!" the Red Ranger said, pointing skyward. Philip craned his neck back and then saw them coming just over the top of the trees. Five triangular-shaped pods roared overhead, as loud as a fighter jet. They were slowing down. Tyler waved the group forward, and Philip followed him into the trees. The pods had deftly settled between the trees.

"Wow. There's a lot of them," Shelby whispered.

"I have a stupid question," Chase said. "If they're transport pods…where's what they transported?" The Black Ranger was looking around. Philip understood. There was no sign of anything-no Vivix, no monsters, and definitely no Sledge.

And then they burst from the trees, bearing down on the team. "Found them," Riley announced unnecessarily.

"Keep them distracted," Miss Morgan instructed. She looked up at the Gold Ranger. "Ivan and I will go around to the rear and plant Get-Bot."

"Be careful," Tyler warned as Miss Morgan and Ivan split off at a run. He turned to the others. "They've got an Energem now. It's a whole new ballgame-"

A laser shot interrupted him, and Philip threw up his hands to block his face as something green shot past him. _What the-_

He tried to turn to see what had fired at them. Except his feet wouldn't budge. The Graphite Ranger strained every muscle he had, but nothing was happening. His eyes could faintly see a wavy fog surrounding himself and the others. _What in the hell is this?_ he wondered.

"I can't move!" Tyler cried out a few feet ahead of him. Philip heard the others confirm with Tyler-no one was going anywhere. To make matters worse…it _hurt_. There was something in the fog, poking at their suits. To Philip, it felt like the feeling one got when a limb had fallen asleep, but a hundred times worse. It was paralyzing.

And then….Philip's eyes trailed up to see a humanoid-shaped metal thing coming out of the sky. "Surprise!" it announced, sounding very gleeful.

"Sledge," Philip heard Koda growl, and he felt the color leave his face. So _this_ was Sledge, the alien bounty hunter who was after the Energems. _This_ was the thing responsible for all the havoc on Earth right now. _This_ thing was the reason Fury had been after the Gold Energem 800 years ago and Ivan had been captured….Philip tried to clench his fists, but his fingers weren't listening. The fog held them in place.

"I'm starting to see why you rangers are so tough to beat," Sledge mused. "These energems are pretty powerful."

 _If we don't move, our Energems are lost and it's all over…_ Philip poured everything he had into trying to get his feet to move, but nothing happened. He hoped Ivan and Miss Morgan were all right. He couldn't see them from where he was.

Sledge paced in front of the captive rangers. "Wanna know how this is going to play out?" he asked them.

"No, but I bet you're gonna tell us," Chase hissed.

Sledge ignored him. "First, I'm going to take the Red Energem." He took a menacing step toward Tyler. The frozen Red Ranger was helpless to do anything. Sledge reached out a hand.

There was a barrage of white laser fire. Sledge staggered backwards as the alien known as Keeper materialized off to the right of the fog and advanced, his spear pointed directly at Sledge.

"Keeper!" Tyler said, relieved.

"You may have an Energem," Keeper informed Sledge, "But you'll never have the heart of a Ranger."

"You fooled me once, Keeper, but today, you'll finally pay for it!" With that, Sledge's focus came off the rangers and onto Keeper as a 65 million-year old grudge match began. Keeper held his own, dodging the first few shots and using his spear to launch himself at Sledge. Unfortunately, it looked to Philip as though Keeper hadn't been involved in much of the battling happening in Amber Beach. The alien was losing ground. _No. No, no no!_ Keeper was hit hard with a laser bolt, and fell to the ground _hard_ on his stomach.

"No! Keeper!" Philip heard Shelby scream.

Two blue-headed aliens appeared, and hauled Keeper off the ground, bringing him before Sledge. Philip's eyes also caught sight of- _Fury._ The gold lionlike beast was coming from the woods with a pair of Vivix.

Sledge got right into Keeper's face. "I'm not done with you _yet_ , Keeper," he hissed menacingly. To the two blue aliens, he said, "Take him back to the ship and make him _suffer._ "

The rangers watched helplessly as Keeper was carried away. Philip heard Riley swear under his breath. Sledge returned his attention to them. "Now…where was I?" He stepped up in front of Tyler and pulled the Red Energem from Tyler's suit. He looked at it, then ripped it off the chain. Tyler cried out in shock and fell to his knees, demorphing in a burst of red light. He was now completely human and very helpless against the armored bounty hunter. Tyler lay on the ground, writhing in pain, the fog still snaking its' way around him.

Philip heard a roar. _The pods are taking off_. He hoped Ivan and Miss Morgan had managed to plant the little energem-finding robot. He looked back over at Tyler, who was trying painfully to get to his feet. _We have to do something, or Sledge is just going to walk away with our gems!_

Sledge made his way to Koda, right in front of Philip. "Two down," Sledge growled. He reached for Koda's energem. " _Five_ _to go_."


	18. Chapter 18

Sledge hit the ground with a surprised grunt. Philip's eyes darted over to see Tyler with his hands on Keeper's staff. Somehow, he'd gotten hold of it-Philip couldn't imagine the willpower it had taken to break the fog's hold. Then, to his surprise, he realized _he_ could move. Philip sagged, catching himself with his hands before he hit the ground. He tested his limbs. Everything was working again. "We're free!" he yelled to everyone.

Something screamed overhead, strafing Sledge from the air. "A _Zord_?" Sledge barked. It was Ivan in the PteraZord. Philip watched Ivan swing around and come back toward the group. Riley and Koda grabbed hold of Tyler, who was still unmorphed. "Hold on!" Riley warned him, and with that, all of the rangers leapt skyward as the Zord came in just off the deck. Chase popped the hatch and the six of them dropped into the cockpit, joining Ivan.

"Great timing!" Chase told Ivan gratefully as the PteraZord peeled off and headed toward town.

"Is everyone okay?" Riley asked. Philip nodded. His shoulder twinged, but he was otherwise in one piece. He looked over at Tyler, who was being supported by Shelby. Their leader was holding Keeper's staff out in front of him, deep in thought.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Shelby asked him.

"Keeper is powerless without his staff," Tyler said worriedly. He looked up. "Do we know where Miss Morgan is?"

Ivan shook his head. "I-I left her to assist you," he said. He hung his head. "I shouldn't have left her."

"It's all right, Sir Ivan," Philip assured him. The knight looked back at him quickly, then faced the front again. Philip understood. It was like Prince Collin all over again-he thought he'd failed someone he was assigned to look after. "Miss Morgan is very smart. She'll be all right," Philip added, hoping he sounded convincing.

Tyler's communicator beeped, and he pulled it from the pocket of his cargo shorts. His eyes widened. "Miss Morgan!"

"What?" Philip asked, at the same time Chase said, "She's okay!"

" _Rangers, I'm going after Keeper_ ," Miss Morgan told them. " _I'm in one of Sledge's pods-"_

The video signal fuzzed, then blanked out. "Miss Morgan!" Shelby yelled, but the connection had been severed.

"Hold on!" Ivan yelled suddenly, and pulled the PteraZord straight up, nearly knocking the others off their feet. Philip looked up to see what was happening, and through the eye-shaped windows, saw a giant, green…. _something_.

"What the hell is that?" Chase asked, voicing Philip's question.

"We have to stop it," Tyler declared. " _Whatever_ it is."

"But we have to rescue friends," Koda objected.

"Then we'll have to split up," Tyler decided. He looked at the others. "You guys can take the MegaZord and take on that monster." He looked at the Pink Ranger. "Shelby and I will take the PlesioZord and try to get to Sledge's ship to find Keeper and Kendall."

"You're going into _space_?" Riley said doubtfully, his tone suggesting what a completely _illogical_ idea that was.

Tyler turned to him. "If you have a better idea…I'm all for it," he said. Riley was silent. Their unmorphed leader looked around the cockpit. Philip was amazed. Tyler had no way to protect himself aboard Sledge's ship without his energem. _I don't know if Zandar still knights people,_ Philip thought to himself, but he made a mental note to check because he was pretty sure he knew a candidate for it. _Except then I'd have to explain why….so perhaps not_. Still, Philip didn't envy Tyler's position as leader. He didn't know if he, in the same situation, could be making the brave decisions that Tyler was.

"We are with you." That was Ivan, loyal to the end. Philip nodded in agreement.

Tyler, Chase and Riley called their zords and formed the MegaZord. Then, Ivan, Philip, Chase, Riley and Koda transported to the cockpit to take on… _whatever_ it was that was in front of them. "Looks like Godzilla," Riley muttered.

"Greenzilla," Philip noted, and Riley nodded.

"Whatever it is, here it comes!" Chase said, digging his feet into the console. "Get ready, guys."

"How do you like your first MegaZord ride, Your Highness?" Ivan asked Philip.

Philip snorted. "Ask me again if we survive, Sir Ivan," he replied, as the MegaZord strode forward into battle. _Once upon a time it was white horses and knights in armor. Now…it's five young men in suits of armor inside a giant…robot._ "How times have changed," he muttered out loud to himself.

The Greenzilla swung its' tail at the Zord, sending the rangers staggering. Philip barely managed to stay upright. It dug its' teeth into the chestplate, and Philip grabbed onto the upright panel to steady himself. "I don't know much about this MegaZord, but it doesn't appear to be able to withstand much more of this!" he said. "Do we have any other weaponry to try?"

"Good idea, Prince Philip," Koda enthused. He turned to Chase, who was standing in the lead. "Add Ptera Zord?" he suggested.

"Worth a shot," Chase agreed through gritted teeth. "Activate Ptera Formation!" With a scream, the Ptera Zord latched onto the back of the Zord and Chase pushed the MegaZord backwards with the newfound wings. Chase and Riley's Raptor and Parasaurus dropped and the Triceratops and Stegosaurus zords replaced them in the arms. "Now we've got a little more muscle," Riley noted. He swung the spiked Stego arm at the Greenzilla and knocked it backward.

"Let's finish him off!" Chase ordered, yanking his DinoSabre from the panel. Philip drew his as well, marveling at it.

"Follow us," Koda told Philip, and Philip held the blade aloft, like a knight of old.

"Stego Sabre!" Outside, the MegaZord's own version of the sabre materialized.

The Greenzilla wasn't giving up. Long tendrils snaked from its' giant body, wrapping themselves around the arms and legs of the MegaZord. Philip felt the entire machine shudder to a stop. He didn't like the feeling. It felt too much like Sledge's fog.

"We must get free!" Ivan told Chase.

"You think?" Chase shot back, and then the world tilted, and the five men felt themselves falling backwards. Philip slammed hard into the back wall as the MegaZord fell. The Greenzilla loomed closer, filling the cockpit window. Crackling orange energy snaked down the tendrils, zapping the MegaZord. Philip felt his hair stand on end.

"I see stars," Koda groaned painfully.

"Guys, this isn't good," Riley agreed.

"We have to keep trying! The others are depending on us," Philip stated, struggling to get back to his feet even as his vision spun.

"Then _get up_!" Chase roared. He drove the tip of his sabre into the console and climbed to his feet. Ivan, Philip, Riley and Koda followed. "Let's mix things up again. Activate AnkyloPachy Formation."

 _Finally_! Philip thought excitedly. His awesome PachyZord was going to make an appearance. The arms switched out again, and Philip unrolled the mace from the end of the PachyZord's tail. Koda raised the hammer on the Ankylozord. "Time to bring the hammer down," Philip said, and Riley snickered next to him. Koda swung the hammer at the Greenzilla and knocked it over. _Thomas would appreciate the irony of the statement_ , Philip thought, and hoped his friend was somewhere safe.

"Have you guys found Keeper and Miss Morgan yet?" Chase asked into the comm.

" _This is Miss Morgan_ ," Kendall's voice crackled through…but the picture onscreen was of a purple-helmeted Power Ranger.

"Wait…what?" Chase's jaw dropped.

" _We've got Keeper and should be off the ship in a few minutes_ ," she continued, ignoring Chase's outburst.

"But… _you're_ the Purple Ranger now?" Chase stammered.

Riley rolled his eyes under his visor. "Real smooth, Kiwi Boy."

Philip could almost picture the matter-of-fact scientist rolling her eyes. " _Yes. We're on our way_." The signal cut out.

"Excuse me, Sir Chase," Ivan spoke up. "Perhaps we could return our attention to the giant green monster outside our window?"

"I still don't believe it," Chase muttered.

As if to add insult to injury, the Greenzilla swung its' tail at the MegaZord again, knocking it backwards. Philip smacked his fist into his hand. "Enough of this!" he declared. "PachyZord Wrecking Ball!" He summoned the specialty weapon of the PachyZord and lashed out at the Greenzilla. It struck home, slamming into the green lizard dead center, but he couldn't compensate and it swung back, nailing the MegaZord in the chestplate.

"Dude, _really_?" Riley asked from beside him, getting back on his feet.

"Someone needed to do something," Philip argued, ignoring the pain in his neck from the whiplash.

The cockpit window filled with a bright beam of light and Philip threw his hands over his visor and cried out in surprise. The MegaZord landed on its' back again, and all five rangers dropped to the floor in pain as the inside temperature of the cockpit began to rise.

"It too strong," Koda grimaced from across the room.

"Gettin' a little warm in here guys," Riley agreed.

The Greenzilla drove its' tail into the MegaZord, and the entire thing fell apart.


	19. Chapter 19

The next thing Philip knew, he was waking up on the ground, out of morph, staring into the gray skies. His head was killing him. His shoulder was on fire. "What happened?" he asked weakly, rolling to see Ivan next to him. The dark-haired knight was clutching his stomach. "Are you all right, Sir Ivan?" Memories of the car crash swirled and he closed his eyes to drive them away. _Everyone is all right. We are all okay._

There was a deafening sound of metal on metal, and Philip opened his eyes to see the Greenzilla looming above them, blocking the light through the trees. But there was something else. Something very large, and very purple…and it was fighting back.

"Kendall," Koda whispered, sounding relieved. The caveman had a gash on his forehead and a rip in his blue shirt below his collarbones.

There was a swirl of red smoke and Keeper appeared in the middle of the group, helping Chase and Riley to their feet. "You're okay!" Riley said.

"As are Kendall and Shelby," Keeper replied, "but Tyler stayed on Sledge's ship to find the Red Energem."

"He's up there _alone_?" Riley ran a hand through his hair. "We gotta help him somehow."

"Perhaps the PlesioZord can keep the Greenzilla occupied until we return with Sir Tyler," Ivan suggested.

"We'll have to hope so. Let's go, guys." Chase drew his revolver and morphed again as the others followed suit. "We can take the PteraZord and go after Tyler in Sledge's ship."

"Wait…now _we're_ going into outer space?" Philip's jaw dropped.

"We must go after him," Ivan said staunchly, and called the PteraZord. The five of them took a running jump and met the PteraZord mid-charge. Ivan took the wheel, so to speak, and threw the PteraZord into a screaming turn like a fighter jet. "There's the clearing," he noted as they flew past. "Which means, if we head straight-"

" _Look_!" Riley called out urgently, and pointed. At their two o'clock high, something dark and huge was falling from the sky. "Is that-?"

"Sledge's ship!" Koda identified the giant mass first.

"No…" Philip's eyes watched the falling ship. "What about Tyler?"

Something small went rocketing past the PteraZord, and Chase pointed. "There!" Ivan put the Ptera in a nosedive, following the object. Which wasn't an object. It was a human. In a Red Ranger suit.

" _Tyler!"_ Chase yelled desperately. "Catch him, Ivan!"

"I am doing my best!" the knight of Zandar said, focused completely on controlling the Zord to match Tyler's descent. The jaw of the PteraZord opened, and a moment later, Tyler was sprawled unceremoniously on the ground in front of Philip's console. Philip reached down to pull him to his feet.

"Nice…catch," Tyler breathed, popping his helmet on for some fresh air.

"You like to live dangerously, Sir Tyler," Ivan grinned as he turned the PteraZord back the way they'd come.

"What happened up there?" Riley demanded.

"Later," Tyler promised. "We've got something bigger to worry about," he added, as the Greenzilla filled the screen. "Let's get over there and help the ladies out."

"Very chivalrous of you," Philip noted as they disappeared in bursts of light, re-materializing in the cockpit of the PlesioZord. It was similar to the MegaZord except the interior was awash in purple light…and the eight Rangers were inside…together.

"You got your Energem back!" Shelby enthused.

"Actually, Get-bot got it," Tyler corrected her with a nod at Miss Morgan. "And Sledge is history. His ship crashed.

"Tyler, you could have been-" Shelby was stopped by Tyler putting a hand on her shoulder.

"My Dad would have said it's all part of the adventure," he told her. He looked around. "We've never been stronger. Now let's end this for _good!"_

"Right!" everyone agreed.

"Activate PlesioCharge MegaZord PachyRex formation!" Miss Morgan ordered, and Philip watched as the giant red T-Rex and his smaller PachyZord joined up with the massive PlesioZord. He clenched a fist and felt the wrecking ball mace swing confidently.

"Dinosaur might, ready to fight!" he intoned with the others. The Greenzilla unleashed a burst of the same burning light as before, but the Zord deftly stepped out of the path.

"Time to take down one last monster," Tyler said from his position in the front. Philip swung the wrecking ball, landing a good-and this time, controlled-hit to the side of the Greenzilla's head. Miss Morgan followed, ramming it in the soft spot on the neck with the head of the PlesioZord. The Greenzilla tried the tactic of the tendrils again, but the sharp teeth in the PlesioZord's mouth chewed them up and spit them out, tossing them to the side like a candy wrapper.

"T-Rex Blast!" Tyler yelled out the next command. The concentrated burst of energy from the chestplate of the PlesioZord sent the Greenzilla staggering.

Tyler pulled his revolver. The others followed suit. Philip took aim out the cockpit window. "Galactic Blast!" he cried out in unison, and watched as a great ball of yellow energy enveloped the Greenzilla , drove it off its' feet, over the water, and exploded in a sunburst of energy.

It was over. They'd won. "Monster extinct!" the others yelled excitedly, but Philip was too tired to join them.

* * *

Back at the command center, Philip iced his shoulder and watched Kendall display the Purple Energem in the stalactite next to the Graphite Energem. Everyone else was in high spirits. Chase was rolling around on his skateboard as Tyler and Shelby danced around the room to an N-Zed boys song on the radio.

"Eight of the energems have been returned," Keeper announced, and the room went quiet. "Thank you, Rangers."

"What happens now?" Philip asked. "Sledge is destroyed but…there are still two Energems out there somewhere, correct?" He gingerly set the ice pack down on the lab table and shrugged back into his suit jacket.

"Ivan, Koda and I will continue to search for the last two," Kendall explained. The room fell quiet as what she was implying set in. "With Sledge gone, the rest of you can return to your lives, do whatever you like," she continued.

"So..it's over?" Tyler asked. He sounded….disappointed.

"Until the last Energem is found, you will remain bound to your dinosaur spirit," Keeper reminded them. "And if ever we need your help, you'll know." Tyler's face brightened a little.

"It was an honor to fight alongside all of you," Philip said suddenly. Everyone looked at him. "When I'm here with all of you…my other life seems so far away." He ran a hand through his hair. "My life comes with its' own challenges, but the six of you….seven, now," he corrected with a nod to Kendall, "remind me that it's possible to handle anything this life throws at someone…" He grinned. "Especially with good friends in your corner."

"The honor was ours, Your Highness," Ivan assured him.

"Again, I must respectfully disagree," Philip told the knight. "This honor…is all mine."

"I hope you find the person who crashed your car," Riley said.

"If you need us to come over there and help out," Tyler told him, "we'll be there."

"I'm sure you would," Philip replied. "But as I recall, you have a father to find, and," he added, with a wink at Shelby, "perhaps a new adventure awaits you here instead." Shelby's face tinged pink, but Philip noticed she had hold of Tyler's hand.

"Well, I'm headed home to New Zealand," Chase said, cutting into the emotional atmosphere. "I can't wait to see my mum and Chloe." He turned sober. "You know, guys, if you're ever Down Under…look me up?"

There was a moment. Then, Koda broke it, wrapping Tyler in a full bear hug. "My family!" he cried, choking up, and it spiraled into a giant group hug. Philip barely felt his shoulder. _Family_ …

Indeed they were, albeit not a very traditional one. As Philip said his final goodbye and made his way out to the service elevator, he felt surprisingly bolstered. He had great friends in his corner here. He had Thomas and Margaret and Martin back home. They would help each other get through the upcoming state funeral.

And they would get to the bottom of this mystery, whatever it took.


	20. Chapter 20

_If you need us to come over there and help out, we'll be there._

Philip pressed his fingers to his temples and closed his eyes. He was starting to wish he'd taken Tyler up on his offer. It had been nearly a month since Sledge's defeat at the hands of the Dino Charge rangers and life in Zandar had almost returned to normal.

There was no sign of the vehicle that had hit Philip, Thomas and the others. The capital police were scouring repair shops throughout the small country searching for a black vehicle with front end damage but nothing had turned up. There had been talk of perhaps dredging the few small bodies of water Zandar had that were large enough to dump a car. No further photos appeared in the papers due to increased security around the castle, and Philip had had no public engagements, so there'd been no further incidents.

But oh, was it _frustrating_! Alvin's state funeral had been a grand affair, something Philip was sure the man would have been amused by. "I just drive car," he would have shrugged it off. And despite public pressure to find the culprit, everyone was at a dead end.

"Perhaps the incident with the vehicle was just that, an accident," Thomas had offered to Philip one morning during a sparring session. The older man's foot had healed nicely, and Philip's shoulder was back to normal. "They meant to scare us, not run us off the road."

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions," Philip had argued. "Whether he meant to or not, it happened, and a good man is dead. I want this person _found_!" He kicked the pad in Thomas's hand with renewed force, and Thomas had to shake his hand out. Philip grimaced. "Sorry, Thomas."

"It's fine," Thomas said easily. "If you can hit that hard when you're just the Prince, I'd hate to feel it when you add in that shiny suit of yours. I would say we should try it sometime, but I'm afraid I'd lose my hand. Speaking of," he continued, reaching for a bottle of water, "any word from your friends in America?"

Philip shook his head. "I imagine they're enjoying a well-deserved reprieve," he said. "I've not even received an email from Shelby, which is unusual-she had a wonderful habit of keeping me up to date with things." He sat down on the lounger. "I guess it's a good sign she hasn't emailed; it means nothing has happened that requires the Graphite Ranger's attention."

He took the cap off a bottle of water and downed half of it in one shot, thinking.

"You miss it, don't you?" Thomas asked him. Philip's eyes shot up to his friend and mentor. The older man had sunk into Philip's chair behind his desk, touching his fingertips together and looking at his young friend.

"I-" Philip started to protest, then chuckled. "Is it that obvious?" he asked Thomas.

"Only if you're looking," Thomas teased him.

"I miss…I think I miss feeling like I was a part of something _bigger_ , you know?" Philip confessed.

"That…what'd you call it…Megazord, thing? That was pretty big, huh?" Thomas joked.

Philip grimaced. "Getting knocked about in that MegaZord…I think my teeth still rattle at the memory." He ran a hand over his face. "I miss the team. I miss doing some good. Not being able to find Alvin's killer is making me feel utterly _useless_."

"Speaking of useless," Thomas said with a twinkle in his eye, "any word from the ex-Princess of Zandar?"

Philip snorted. "You're on a roll today. Thankfully, no. Everything is officially official, as it were, and apart from the occasional mention of us in the tabloids…I'm a free man."

"Do you think…" Thomas chose his words carefully, "you think maybe she was behind it? Her and her father? The accident, I mean."

"Annabeth proved to be after her own agenda," Philip said after a moment, "but I never saw anything in her that suggested homicidal tendencies. As for her father…He was full of spite and vinegar, but I don't think he's a killer." He looked at Thomas. "You've been thinking about this a lot, eh?"

"No more than you, Sire," Thomas countered, and Philip conceded the point. Without anything Ranger-related to keep his mind from things, the accident had been all Philip had thought about for more than a month.

There was a knock at the door, and Philip and Thomas both looked up to see Martin coming into the room, leaning heavily on a silver cane. The man had several pins in his knee and foot, but had returned to duty as Philip's head of security. "Afternoon, gents," he greeted the both of them. Thomas vacated Philip's chair so Martin could sit down.

"How's the leg?" Philip asked him.

"Still attached," Martin said easily. He looked at the two of them. "Philip, I wanted to let you know that we hired someone in Alvin's place."

Philip cringed. He'd been dreading this. He knew it was going to have to happen, but Alvin had been around since Giles, his mother's driver, had retired. It was like replacing a family member. "And?" he pressed.

Martin pressed the intercom button. "Margaret, can you send him in, please?" A moment later, the heavy door swung open and a young man about Philip's age came into the office. He had short blonde hair cut in a military-style crop, blue eyes framed by a pair of square-framed glasses, and wore a crisp black polo shirt and khaki pants. He stopped just inside the door, closing it and then waiting.

"Prince Philip, allow me to introduce Nicholas de Latour," Martin gestured to the young man, who took a few more steps into the room and stood ramrod straight in front of the desk. "Mr. de Latour, Prince Philip III of Zandar."

Nicholas turned so he was facing Philip, who stood now on formality. "Your Highness," he greeted him with a stiff bow.

Philip studied him before making the 'rise' gesture. "Mr. de Latour," he acknowledged.

"A pleasure, sir," Nicholas said. "I wish I was getting this position under better circumstances."

"As do I," Philip replied. He looked at Martin. "I trust you'll take care of his briefing?"

"Of course, Sire," Martin nodded, slowly rising from Philip's chair and meeting Nicholas. He gestured for the door. "We'll go over those security protocols now, though Nicholas won't need much training. He is a former lieutenant in the Zandarian Army."

"I see." Philip studied Nicholas intently. "Should you have any concerns, Mr. de Latour, please direct them to Martin. He's been head of my security since my father passed away almost twenty years ago. He knows every inch of this castle inside and out."

Nicholas nodded. "I look forward to learning what I can, Your Highness. Thank you." With another little bow, Martin followed him from the room.

Thomas waited until the door closed. "He's so stiff, a cardboard cutout has more flex."

Philip collapsed into laughter.

* * *

"Nicholas is settling into his duties nicely," Thomas commented as Philip ran through some cooldown stretches after their morning workout. Philip glanced sideways at him and Thomas smirked. "Martin _really_ should have mentioned to him that the fleet vehicles are all manual."

Philip smirked. "That is security's version of hazing," he explained to Thomas. "They do it on purpose."

Thomas's jaw dropped as Philip stood up, pulling one arm over his shoulder to stretch it out. He grinned as Thomas processed what he'd just told him. "I learn something new every day," he said finally, and Philip grinned.

"Proof that you can indeed teach old dogs new tricks," he joked and Thomas threw Philip's charcoal gray sweatshirt at him. Philip caught it. "Take it easy, my cell phone is in there-and it's ringing.." He frowned as he pulled the silver smart phone from the kangaroo pocket. "California area code," he noted. "Prince Philip speaking," he answered it, keeping his tone professional.

" _Prince Philip?"_ The voice belonged to _Koda_.

"Koda?" Philip's jaw dropped. "It's good to hear from you, my friend." Briefly, he wondered how Koda even knew how to work a phone. He'd given his personal phone number to Miss Morgan before he'd left the States...so why was _Koda_ calling and not her?

" _You too. We have problem,"_ the Blue Ranger told him. Philip heard the sounds of someone asking for the phone, and then a new voice picked up the conversation.

" _I wasn't sure who else to call or what to do,"_ Tyler Navarro's voice explained. " _Sorry if I'm interrupting you or anything."_

"It's fine," Philip said earnestly. "What's going on? Koda said there's a problem?"

" _It's the others. They're all missing."_

Philip sat down on the edge of his desk. "What do you mean, 'missing,'?" he repeated. Thomas looked over at him, and Philip held up a finger in a 'wait' gesture as Tyler relayed what was happening in California. Something about an ice age.

" _I don't know if you can help at all, Koda and I are gonna try to do something, but you're part of the team, so I just wanted to tell you to be careful, and watch your back."_

"Thank you for the warning. If you need me, I can be there in half a day," Philip promised him. Tyler hung up and Philip set the phone down on the desk.

"What's going on?" Thomas asked him.

"Trouble," Philip said grimly, and repeated the situation. "The others are missing. Tyler and Koda are the only ones left. They told me to watch my back."

"Do they need you in California?"

Philip ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know," he replied. "I don't know if I should go or stay."

"If you go, you might run into the same danger the others did," Thomas said.

"That's what I don't understand!" Philip got up and paced the floor. "Sledge is gone. The danger should have passed, but…if there's something _else_ out there…" He looked at the desk, where the Graphite energem sat on his computer keyboard, glowing its' light gray light. He looked up at Thomas. "Is this my life now? Spending my time torn between two duties on either side of the world?"

Thomas was quiet, unsure if Philip actually wanted his opinion. When the silence lengthened and he realized that Philip was waiting for an answer, he chose his words carefully. "You knew it would be challenging when you started looking for the energem in the first place," Thomas pointed out. "You told me once you hoped you could balance being both."

As if to emphasize the point, Margaret's voice came over the intercom. " _I have those papers for your signature, Prince Philip. Is now a good time?"_

Philip sighed. "And right now, I need to be a ruler over a Ranger. If Tyler calls again, I'll go but…" He ran a hand through his hair. "They can handle this." He shrugged. "Besides, it sounds as if I'm going to have enough here to keep me busy."

* * *

_He threw the beer can away and cracked open another one. It was the last one in the six-pack and if he didn't do something soon, he wouldn't have the money to buy any more. He'd gotten too close with the car; he hadn't meant to run them off the road. Or kill a man. The tabloid had paid him serious money for the photo of Philip in his bedroom; he'd just wanted another good photo. But he'd screwed up._

_He'd driven the car over the border and sent it into a gully, then walked back to cover his tracks. They were looking for his car in Zandar, but it wasn't there._

_He'd tried to follow the prince to the US but he'd been drunk and missed the flight. The accident had rattled him. He'd missed enough work that his supervisor had fired him because of it._

_Stupid Prince Philip and all his security. He was going to need to find a way around it or he'd lose his meal ticket._


	21. Chapter 21

"Please don't make me," Philip begged. "Anything in the world but this." There was a definite undercurrent of his 'old' self in his voice.

Margaret snickered. "You're afraid of this?"

"Really, Philip, out of everything in the _world_ ," Thomas added meaningfully, " _this_ scares you?"

Philip held up the embossed invite in his hand. "More than anything," he told them. "I _hated_ these as a kid. I seriously doubt that's changed in twenty-some years." He studied it. "And you spelled 'cordially' wrong," he told Margaret, handing the invitation back.

She glared at him, her ears tinged pink with embarrassment. "It's one night, Philip. One night. One party."

"One night of brown nosing with the Zandarian elite," Thomas teased him. Philip hit him not-so-gently in the shoulder.

"Glad you're enjoying this," he told them both. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "You know, the last time I was at one of these things, I met Annabeth."

"And thus began your reign of terror," Margaret muttered under her breath, and Philip shot her a Look. She held his gaze. "It's for the kids," she pressed, and Philip's head dropped to his arms on his desk in defeat.

"Fine. Send the invites." He looked at her. "And if you'd please make sure that the one to the Matthias residence gets lost in the mail?"

"Of course, Sire," Margaret said smoothly, scooping the invitation off his desk and disappearing from the room.

"So…a benefit for the King Philip Children's Hospital. Guess this means I get to see you in a monkey suit, eh, Philip?" Thomas asked Philip, rising from his place leaning by the fireplace. "This should be fun."

Philip pointed at him. "Joke's on you, Thomas. Those invites include a line for a plus one." He grinned. "As my personal trainer, body guard, and my friend…you're coming too."

Thomas cringed.

* * *

Philip straightened his tie and looked in the mirror, brushing a piece of his hair off his forehead. The dark charcoal-gray suit fit him perfectly, but then, it had been tailored to specifications. He closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against the mirror. This was bringing back memories, ones he'd thought he'd buried.

He hadn't thought about his mother in a long time. Queen Irene had always chose his clothes for events like this. He had someone that could've done it for him, but she always did it for him. "I rarely get to spend time with my boy," she'd tell them. "This way, I can see how much he's grown."

 _If you could only see me now_ , he thought. "A prince and a Power Ranger," he said aloud, stepping back from the mirror. "I'd say I've grown quite a bit." With one last glance, he palmed the Graphite energem off the dresser and opened his bedroom door to see Thomas standing outside. He was fiddling with his bow tie. "Don't you look dashing," Philip teased him.

"Oh shut up," Thomas replied good-naturedly. He nodded to Martin, who was standing further up the hall. "He's ready to go, Martin."

Martin gestured and Philip walked between the two of them. Although the threat had seemingly ended, Philip knew his friends and staff weren't pretending the danger was any less. He stayed between them past the long bank of windows leading from one end of the castle to the other. The courtyard doors were swung back and Philip could hear classical music on strings floating through the open doors. "We're arriving," Martin spoke into his mic, and then he stepped back, allowing Philip access to the courtyard.

Flashes of the last one of these he'd attended with his mother flew past his eyes. The shrubs and trees had white lantern lights woven through their branches. A string quartet was set up near the doors, Mozart floating through the air. People were chatting in low tones, and Philip saw the director of the Children's Hospital speaking to someone on the far side, a blonde woman in a shimmering blue dress. He made his way across the yard, nodding to Nick de Latour on his way past the young man, who was standing watch. Nick gave him a polite nod and returned his gaze to watching the crowd.

Philip stepped up next to Director David Franklin, but before he could say anything, realized who he was speaking to, and had to try _very_ hard to keep his jaw from hitting the floor.

"Your Highness," Margaret greeted him easily, giving him a short bow. Her hair was loose around her shoulders and the dress fit her like a glove. She was wearing a simple pearl jewelry set, and tonight, she wasn't wearing her glasses, her green eyes sparkling under the white lights.

Philip swallowed. "Margaret. You did a wonderful job organizing this evening." He looked at Director Franklin and offered his hand. "Wouldn't you say so, Director?"

"I can't tell you how appreciative I am of this," the director praised Margaret. He turned to Philip. "And thank you," he added, nodding respectfully to the prince. "The children will be very excited."

"Anything I can do to help," Philip responded. He swiped two champagne glasses off a tray and held one out to the director. "May this night bring in plenty of change-especially the kind that funds new equipment," he joked.

The glass in his hand shattered, and Philip heard Margaret scream. The music stopped and the screaming got louder. Philip felt himself thrown to the ground as a loud _pop_ rang out, something cracking the stone of the fountain nearby. " _Stay down_!" he heard Nick de Latour hiss in his ear. "Anyone have eyes?" he demanded into his mic.

" _Shot appeared to come from the south,"_ Martin's voice said. " _Proceed to courtyard doors."_

Philip was hauled up by his collar, and Nick kept himself between Philip and the shooter's alleged location as they threaded their way through the tables. "Where's Margaret and Director Franklin?" Philip demanded as they ducked through the crowd.

"My priority is you, Sire," Nick said, pushing Philip ahead of him and into the castle. "I'll get you a status as soon as I can."

Philip's mind was racing. _What the hell had just happened?_ His hand drifted to his pants pocket, where the Graphite Energem sat against his thigh. _Someone was shooting at me…_ Where were Thomas and Margaret? Anger burned through the fear. _It's happening again._ He wanted to morph right there and go back out and face whoever this was. But he knew he couldn't. Nick led him to his office and put him on the floor away from the windows.

"Don't move, Prince Philip. I'll be back." The door closed behind him, leaving Philip in the office in silence.

Alone, Philip buried his face in his hands and screamed in frustration.

* * *

It felt like hours later when the door opened again. "Philip!" Thomas gasped out, yanking his young friend up by the shoulders and giving him a bone-crushing hug. Philip returned it gratefully. "Thank God you're all right," Philip told Thomas.

"What about Margaret?" Philip interrupted. "She was…she was standing right next to the director and I."

"She's fine," Thomas reassured him, and Philip closed his eyes in relief. "Cuts from the broken glass, but otherwise physically, she's fine."

"Where is she?"

"Getting questioned by security," Thomas told him. "I think we're both next," he added.

"What about…everyone else?" Philip asked. He swallowed hard. "Did-did anyone…"

"The guy was a terrible shot," Thomas said. "The only casualty was the glass in your hand. And the fountain got a graze. All the other shots…into the trees or tables. No one else was hit."

The door opened and Martin came in. "Hell of a night," he began by way of greeting. "You're both all right?" he asked. The two men nodded. Martin limped to the lounger and sat down, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Jesus."

"You look like hell, Martin," Philip told his head of security. "How are you holding up?"

Martin coughed out a short laugh. "Honestly? Thinking about retiring. There's never been so many security issues in the history of Zandar. I'm obviously losing my touch."

"It's not your fault," Philip rushed to assure him. He looked at Thomas. "Whoever this person is…they're obviously after me." He ran a hand through his hair, pulling out some pieces of glass. "Perhaps…perhaps it would be best if I left for awhile."

"Absolutely not," Martin cut in. "After tonight, there's no _way_ I'm letting you out of my sight."

Philip stood up. His eyes were blazing. Months of frustration were finally coming to a boil, and he was _done_ feeling like that. "You're going to give me _orders_ , Martin?" He shook his head and barked out a short laugh. "This is twice in as many months that someone has tried to end my life. _My_ life," he added. "They've killed one person on my staff. It was almost many more tonight. If I'm not in country, they've no one to go after. It's very clear this evening that tonight, they are after _me._ " He looked at Thomas. "I would never forgive myself, Martin, if you had taken a bullet tonight. Or Thomas. Or Nick, or Margaret, God forbid." He threw his hands in the air. "I have made friends in the States. I can stay there until things cool back down again."

"Cool down?" Martin repeated. "Philip, it took them a month to build between the accident and this shooting. What's to say the events are even connected?"

"What's to say they're not?" Philip countered.

"Both times you were with someone else. At the hospital, we were in the car with you. Tonight, you were standing next to the director of the hospital. What if it's connected to _that_ , and not to _you_?"

"Then this is a perfect opportunity to test that theory," Philip advised. "I'll go to the States. If something happens there, we'll know I'm the target."

"You're going to offer yourself as _bait_ ," Martin laughed incredulously. "If your mother could hear you-or your _father-"_

"I very nearly joined them!" Philip exploded. "I will not lose anyone in my family _again_ before it is their time to go!"

Martin and Thomas were both silent. Philip was seething. He was pacing the room. Now would have been an excellent time for a training session, because he was very worked up and would have loved to have hit something.

"I'll agree to it," Martin said finally. Philip stopped pacing.

"Excuse me?"

"I'll agree to it," his head of security repeated. "One _one_ condition."

"Name it," Philip said. "Though I don't promise I'll agree to it."

"Thomas and Nick go with you."

Philip paused. Thomas was one thing. He knew Philip's secret. But to have Nick come along, to try to keep it from the newest member of his security team (the one with the freshest eyes)…

_But if I don't agree, then I have to stay. And I risk putting people in danger._

He looked at Thomas, and the two of them had an unspoken conversation with their eyes. Finally, Philip turned to Martin.

"Agreed," he said finally.

* * *

Pictures of the aftermath of the gala flooded the papers and flooded the tabloids. By the time they hit the stands, however, Philip, Thomas, and Nick de Latour were on a private jet to the States. Margaret had been less than pleased to see them go. She'd made the arrangements and then left Philip and Thomas alone in her office.

And that bothered Philip more than he thought it would. He'd wanted to explain his decision to her, but Martin had insisted if he was going to go, then he needed to get on with it. So he'd left without a word to her. _I need to call, or write_ , he decided. _Perhaps once we're settled. She deserves to know._

_She deserves to know a lot of things..._

The plane touched down at the San Francisco airport, a place Philip was beginning to know all too well. They went easily through customs, and Nick had procured a vehicle for them. "Where to from here, sir?" he asked Philip through the divider.

Philip glanced at Martin. "North," he said finally. "The city of Amber Beach, please."


	22. Chapter 22

Philip stepped out of the car into the humid northern California heat. "I'll be right back," he told Thomas and Nick.

Nick's head popped from the driver's side. "I'm going with you, Sire," he informed him.

"That won't be necessary," Philip responded, trying to think fast. They were parked at the Amber Beach Dinosaur Museum. Nick couldn't go in with him…there'd be no way for him to get downstairs to the Ranger lab! He waved a hand at the museum. "I'll be in a crowd of people."

Nick raised an eyebrow. "Like you were at the gala?" he countered.

 _Damn it_. "Mr. de Latour, I'm quite positive no one from Zandar is aware I've skipped country," he improvised. "It will only be a moment. I just need to say hello to a friend," he added. "The museum has excellent security." _In the form of six Power Rangers_. "I won't be but a moment," he repeated, donning a pair of Oakley sunglasses. "Besides," he added, gesturing down at his wardrobe, "I don't even look like myself." He was wearing a pair of gray jeans and a black t-shirt with Storm Chargers scrawled across it in bright blue ink.

"I think you'll find," Thomas spoke up popping his head out the window at Nick, "that when he gets like this, it's best to let him go," he said, injecting just a touch of annoyance into his voice. Philip knew it was an act…at least, he _hoped_ it was. Not waiting for an answer, he took off at a jog for the front entrance of the museum and let himself inside, paid the admission fee, and made his way toward the interior secret entrance of the Dino Charge rangers' base. There was a tour group near the massive T-Rex skeleton, and he hung at the fringes in the back, then pushed the door open and slipped inside.

The halls were silent. The door to the base was a nondescript sliding door that seemed to open only from the energy given off by an energem. The door slid back and Philip was met by the barrel of a bright yellow blaster. He held up his hands on instinct-for all the good they would do stopping a bullet-and gasped, "Don't shoot!"

" _Philip_?"

Cautiously, Philip lowered his hands to see Tyler Navarro and Koda both staring at him, slackjawed. "Hello, friends," he said. "Sorry to, ah, drop in unannounced."

"You okay!" Koda cried, rushing forward and lifting him into a massive bear hug. Philip coughed and patted Koda on the back.

"Yes, the shooter missed," Philip replied. "It was close, though."

"Wait, what?" Tyler asked him, sticking his blaster into his belt. "You were _shot_ at?"

"Well, yes. I assume it made your news-at the very least, it must have made it on Glitz World-"

" _Oh_." Realization dawned on Tyler. "No, no, Koda's happy you're okay because you're not in a giant block of ice. I mean, it's good you didn't get shot at either, but-"

Philip held up a hand. " _What_ are you talking about?" he interrupted. He looked at Koda, whose hands were wrapped around his stomach nervously. It was then he realized that…it was Tyler and Koda…and nobody else. "Where are the others?"

Tyler ran a hand through his hair. "Ah…they're missing," he explained. "Koda and I…we were attacked by this guy…Ice Age. We fought him once before, he tried to steal Shelby's energem and mine, before we were even Rangers, or even knew what they were."

Philip's mind was racing. This was not what he'd expected arriving back in Amber Beach. Sledge was _gone_. The threat should've been over…and yet… "We have to find them," he decided. "How can I help?"

"It all my fault," Koda spoke up quietly from the computer equipment. Philip looked over at him. The caveman from another time was sitting on the edge of it, staring over at the display of Energems.

"Koda-" Tyler began, but Philip got to him first. He went over to Koda and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I find that very hard to believe," he told Koda. "You're the bravest warrior I know."

"Koda, tell me exactly what happened out there," Tyler encouraged him, stepping around to his other side. He looked sidelong at Philip. A silent, _thanks for being here_. Philip inclined his head, and waited for Koda to begin.

He'd never seen Koda so rattled. Even in the face of certain destruction the day Sledge had tried to take their gems, as the Greenzilla tried to rip the MegaZord apart, Koda had remained steadfast. His friend right now was…well, if Philip had to pick a word…Koda was _scared_.

"I try to fight against Ice Age," Koda spoke up after a moment. Philip noticed he was unconsciously rubbing his hands up and down his arms. "It bring back many scary memories, from long time ago."

"Oh…" Tyler nodded understandingly. "I get it." Philip looked at him, and Tyler explained, "Koda bonded with his Energem saving his little brother from a sabre tooth tiger," he said. "Koda fell off the side of a cliff into a lake, and it froze over before he could get out. But 'cause he was bonded to the Blue Energem, he didn't age, and he didn't die. He just…it was kind of like a stasis."

"Koda…" Philip was speechless. Koda had told him that he'd saved his brother from a sabre tooth tiger, but he hadn't told him the rest. He pulled his friend into a side hug, and Tyler put his arm around Koda on the other side. "What….what happened then?" Philip asked.

Koda took up the story. "Many years later…explorers find me. It Kendall, and Chase. Kendall make Dino Blaze Charger to melt ice." Koda closed his eyes. "Ice hold me for 100,000 years." His hands tried to move up and down his arms again, but Philip and Tyler held them. Philip understood now.

"It's like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder," Philip realized. He exchanged a glance with Tyler, realized that the Red Ranger was thinking the same thing. _That explains why he's rubbing his arms like that…it's like he's cold…_

"Today," Koda continued miserably, "ice come up my arms again. Want to catch me again, but I escape." He looked at Tyler. "Then, I ran away."

"The others would not blame you for running away, Koda," Philip reassured him. "I can promise you that."

Tyler started. "Wait…you _escaped_ the ice?"

Koda nodded. As he did, alarms sounded throughout the room. "Alien bio signs," Tyler reported. He studied one of the monitors. "Ice Age is in the city." He looked at Koda and Philip. "I have an idea," he told them both. "But…we're gonna have to be frozen," he added, looking at Koda specifically.

Koda's face went pale. "No," he stammered. "No, no no. I can't."

"Koda," Philip told him, with a glance at Tyler, "sometimes the best way to face your fear is to attack it headfirst." He clapped a hand on Koda's shoulder, a gesture Koda used often with him to signify solidarity. "You can do this. I have faith in you, my friend. So does Tyler."

"Absolutely," Tyler agreed. "Before we face that monster again, you're gonna teach me _exactly_ how you escaped the ice today." He looked at Philip. "How about it, Prince? You in?"

Philip thought of Thomas and Nick out in the parking lot. _I have probably already overstayed my welcome,_ he thought to himself. But then, the others were in trouble… He pulled out his phone, sent a quick text to Thomas. One single word.

 _Stall_.

"I am with you," he told Tyler. "While you two are being frozen in ice…what am I going to be doing?"

Tyler grinned.

* * *

Outside the museum, Thomas closed his phone in mock exasperation. "It would appear Philip stopped off at the diner inside the museum for a bite," he told Nick, rolling his eyes for show.

Nick's hand hit the steering wheel. "Does he not understand that someone tried to kill him a few days ago?" He moved to get out of the car.

"Let's hold off on that," Thomas told Nick, thinking quickly. "We're able to see everyone that comes in and out of the museum, here," he said. "Philip will be fine. We've been here before, they have good security. I don't want to make a big deal out of him buying a Bronto Burger."

"You've been here before?" Nick asked. He frowned. "Why?"

"Ah….the Prince seems to have a newly-acquired taste for events of the past," Thomas explained.

Nick was quiet for a moment, staring out the front window. Then, "So he _doesn't_ have an American girlfriend?"

Thomas burst out laughing.

* * *

Tyler, Philip and Koda skidded around a corner and came across a pale blue and white monster, with a handful of Vivix. "So this is the infamous Ice Age," Philip noted, studying the creature. He looked at Tyler and Koda. "And you're sure about this?"

Tyler nodded, grinning at Koda. "Yeah. Of course. What could go wrong?"

Koda eyed Tyler. "Lots," the caveman informed him, and Tyler laughed nervously. "Well, here we go. Remember, Philip, don't let them see you."

"I'll be invisible," Philip promised.

Tyler and Koda ran into the street. "What have you done with our friends?" Tyler demanded of Ice Age.

Ice Age's chuckle was harsh and grating on Philip's ears. "Ah. Looking for your friends? You've found your doom!"

"I don't think so!" Tyler countered. He pulled his Energem from his pocket. "Energize!" he and Koda yelled together, morphing instantly and charging toward Ice Age.

"Freeze!" Ice Age called back to them, lifting his hands. A small mini-blizzard erupted from his hands (claws?) and stopped Tyler and Koda dead in their tracks. Moments later, the two were encased in two massive blocks of ice.

 _I hope you know what you're doing,_ Philip thought, as the Vivix and Ice Age hauled the frozen Rangers away. Philip waited a moment, let them get a little ahead, and then followed.

* * *

Philip tailed the group to an industrial park on the outskirts of Amber Beach. What he saw as he poked his head from behind a Quonset terrified him. There were five blocks of ice already waiting. _Miss Morgan, Riley, Shelby, Sir Ivan, Chase…_

"Master Heckyl!" Ice Age singsonged. "I caught all seven-"

 _Eight, you idiot_ , Philip thought to himself. These alien menaces had a serious counting problem.

"-Range, oh Master Snide. I-I didn't realize-" Ice Age was backtracking quickly, and Philip could see why. The figure guarding the other Rangers was a tall creature that looked to be wearing some kind of metal armor. _Master Snide_. _The new villain in town_ , Philip presumed.

"I'm in control now," Snide was telling Ice Age. He walked up and down the row of ice blocks. "So. These are the Power Rangers. A tray of ice cubes," he smirked. He looked at Tyler and Koda. "Ah. These two are morphed." He stepped up to the two blocks. "And their Energems will be _mine_." He produced a blade out of nowhere. "Time to slice the ice!"

Philip tensed. _Almost_ …

Snide bisected the ice blocks with one swing. Another stroke shattered both blocks…and Tyler and Koda's Ranger suits collapsed to the ground in blue and red heaps. Snide roared. "Those Ranger _rats_! You caught _nothing_!" he railed on Ice Age.

"Oh, we're here!" Tyler assured him, leaping out from behind a stack of oil barrels.

"Just not where you think!" Koda added, joining him.

Philip stood up, one finger on the trigger of his blaster. He popped in a charger and spun the barrel. "Dino Blaze Charger!" he announced, aiming at the five blocks of iced Rangers. "Engage!" He pulled the trigger. A burst of concentrated heat and light exploded from the barrel, engulfing the area, sending Ice Age and the Vivix, and Snide, flying.

The five ice blocks shattered. Ivan, Riley, Shelby, Chase and Miss Morgan collapsed to the ground, teeth chattering, but _alive_. "W-What happened?" Riley shivered.

"Just a little cold snap," Tyler assured him as he and Koda joined them.

"Sir Tyler!" Ivan said, relieved. And then, he saw Philip, who rushed to join them. He studied Philip's attire. "Y-Your Highness?" Ivan gaped.

Philip laughed. "In the flesh, Sir Ivan. Though perhaps not as you expected. But," he continued, reaching into his pockets. "I come bearing gifts!" He held out five glittering Energems.

Shelby plucked the Pink Energem from his outstretched hand. "Our energems!" she gasped.

"Energems!" Snide had recovered. "The key to my past, present, and future!"

"Who's this guy?" Chase asked out of the corner of his mouth as Philip joined him at the end of the line.

"He introduced himself as Master Snide," Philip said. "It would appear he is Sledge's replacement."

"Oh goody," Chase muttered. "Another one."

"It's like it never ends," Riley groaned.

"It does today," Miss Morgan assured them. She looked around at the others. "Ready?"

Tyler grinned. "Oh yeah! Dino Charger, ready!" He thrust the Charger out in front of him. Philip followed suit. "Energize!" Philip snapped it into the chamber on the blaster and pulled the trigger. "Unleash the Power!"

A moment later, Philip stood, ready to fight alongside his fellow Rangers as the Graphite Ranger. And _man_ , did it feel good. "Dino Steel, armor on!" Philip called out, feeling the extra metal plating work its' way down his arm as an added defense. Then, he threw himself into the fight. The Vivix were everywhere. Koda was after Ice Age, and Tyler was attacking Snide.

"It's good to see you again, Prince Philip!" Ivan called to him as they battled alongside each other. Philip knocked his opponent into Ivan's and sent them both crashing to the ground.

"Likewise," Philip told him, shaking Ivan's hand, then jumping back into the fray.

* * *

The fight was ended by the abrupt disappearance of Snide and the destruction of Ice Age by the Dino Spike, a sight Philip found most satisfactory. After clearing the area, he followed the others back to the museum.

"Home sweet home," Chase sighed, his skateboard tucked under his arm. "Though I'm going to have a hard time explaining to my Mum why I'm back in the States."

"You'll think of something," Tyler said.

"This beats the pig pen," Riley said happily. "I swear Matt gave me that job just to torture me 'cause I was gone all last summer."

"I thought I smelled something," Chase grinned, and Riley hit him in the arm.

"Koda." The voice that broke through the hellos came from Miss Morgan, who had placed a hand on Koda's arm and was looking up at him. "Thank you," she told him, and Koda happily lifted her into a hug, a sight that surprised Philip. Miss Morgan didn't seem the hugging type, but then, he had noticed that Koda was getting away with calling her Kendall instead of Miss Morgan.

Koda looked around the room. "I thought my biggest fear was ice, but…biggest fear…is losing my new family," he told them all.

Tyler glanced at Shelby. "Group hug?" he asked her. Shelby grinned.

"Group hug," she confirmed, and everyone converged on Koda. Happy that their friend had overcame his fear, but moreso because they were all together again.

At that moment, Keeper appeared, shimmering into view out of nowhere. Philip gaped. He couldn't get used to the alien appearing like that. "Rangers," the alien greeted them warmly. "I was hoping you wouldn't be needed again, but duty calls."

"Yeah, who's this Snide guy?" Chase asked.

"It was odd," Philip said. "Ice Age was calling for a Master Heckyl, but then backtracked when he saw it was Snide."

"So there's _two_ new players in town?" Riley wondered.

"We have eight of the Energems," Miss Morgan reminded them.

"And we know that the Aqua Ranger is out there somewhere, because the Ankylozord is awake," Shelby added. "So the Aqua Energem is out there somewhere."

"And the Silver," Philip added. "The tenth and final gem," he said, nodding to Miss Morgan.

"Let's get started!" Philip laughed at Tyler's boundless enthusiasm. Then, his smile faded, and he pulled Miss Morgan aside.

She began the conversation with, "I hear your life has gotten a bit interesting over the summer."

Philip ran a hand down his face. "I'm not sure how much assistance I'm going to be in helping you with Snide," he told her. "I do not want some psychopath with my picture on a wall finding out about any of you."

Miss Morgan nodded. "Anonymity is a precious thing."

"As is safety," Philip added. "Something you may not have if I am around."

"I'll do my best to keep your involvement with us to a minimum," she promised. "But you should also know, Philip, that we're stronger together." She looked him in the eye. "You have friends here."

 _She reminds me of Margaret._ "It's good to know that help is there if I need it," he said seriously. "I won't forget that."

"Welcome back, Prince Philip," Miss Morgan told him, offering her hand, and Philip chuckled as he shook it.

"Despite it all," he said, looking around, "it _is_ good to be back."


	23. Chapter 23

"Turn left up here," Thomas instructed Nick, looking at the address Margaret had sent him. Nick signaled and went off the highway onto a gravel road north of Amber Beach. "It's 11103…Americans and their addresses, honestly." He rolled his eyes. "'I live at eleven thousand, one hundred and three…' I mean, this is ridiculous."

Philip stifled a laugh. "Well, it is out in the middle of nowhere, which is what Mr. de Latour requested," he said instead. Nick eyed him through the rearview mirror. "And…I think we've found it."

Thomas studied the mailbox, then looked at his phone. "11103 118th Street Northeast," he rattled off, muttering a choice word in French over the American 911 address system. "This is indeed it," he said, tucking his phone into his shirt pocket. Nick put the car in park, and the three men stepped out to study their new home in Amber Beach.

Margaret had certainly done well, Philip reflected. Nick had instructed her to find a house with room for the three of them in an area that was easily defendable, if it came to that. The property was a three bedroom, two bath on one acre. The road came in from the highway on the east side, but the property was situated practically on top of Amber Beach on a high bluff. _The views from inside the house must be incredible_ , Philip thought. The house was blue with gray trim. On either side and the back of the property, a fence denoted the boundary where the acreage was met by the boundary of a California State Park. Philip, Thomas and Nick wandered around to the back of the house and to the edge of the property. Over the side of the fence, a river cut through the park with a small waterfall before winding down around Amber Beach.

"It's amazing," Philip breathed. "Not even the castle in Zandar has a view like this."

"And you won't have to worry about any views like the one in the tabloid," Thomas said under his breath. Philip hit him in the arm.

"Well it works for me," Nick said. "Security-wise, it's perfect. That bluff is steep, and there's a wildlife camera there-" He pointed to a small, black object, cleverly hidden in the trees along the fenceline. He glanced sidelong at Philip. "Nobody can come or go without us knowing about it."

Philip ignored the comment. "When all this is over," he said, enthralled, "we need to keep this place. It would make an excellent getaway from Zandar."

"Hopefully we don't have to use it long," Thomas said. "I hope the inside looks better than the outside," he said, looking the exterior up and down. "One good gust of wind…"

Philip laughed at Thomas's look. "Oh come on, Thomas. It can't be that bad."

"Someone obviously grew up in the city, eh?" Nick joined in.

"Oh shut up, the both of you," Thomas groused. Philip clapped him on the shoulder as he moved past him to go onto the porch. He looked back out. _Thomas is right,_ he decided. _This definitely isn't home but…_ He thought of Margaret, felt a pang of…something….in his stomach. _But I'll deal with it if it means keeping the people I care about safe._

_All of them._

* * *

Philip's eyes snapped open and his arms flailed, gripping the sides of the comforter as he shot straight up in bed. It took him a moment or two to remember where he was, staring at the blank walls around him, and out the open window. The second floor window offered a view over the back lawn of the house… _right, the house. Amber Beach_ , he remembered. _What the hell woke me?_ Outside, he could look over the lawn and out over the cliff that marked the end of the property, to where the clouds were swirling. Lightning cracked over Amber Beach and thunder shook the house.

Philip was in awe. Thunderstorms weren't as common in Zandar, it was rarely humid enough, and with the trees that surrounded the castle, you couldn't see much beyond them. So to see this…He got up out of bed and padded over to the window, undid the latch and opened it partway. The smell of ozone and rain filtered in. _Incredible._ He stood by the window, looking over the city, watching bolts of lightning split the sky from clouds to ground.

Movement on the ground caught his eye, and he looked down into the yard. Something was moving on the lawn, but when a bolt of lightning lit the sky, there was nothing there.

Philip blinked and rubbed his eyes. Obviously it had been a long few weeks. He closed the window and crawled back into bed, staring up at the ceiling again until he fell asleep.

* * *

" _So how is it?"_

Philip leaned back against the front stairs of the house, tablet in hand. To answer Margaret's question, he stood and turned the tablet, panning the property.

"Remarkable," he told her sincerely.

" _Good, I'm glad."_

There was an awkward pause. "Ah…anything back on our party crasher?" Philip asked Margaret, to keep the conversation going. _I can talk to Shelby or Miss Morgan with little issue…why is it so difficult with Margaret?_

She shook her head, and pushed her glasses up on her nose. " _We are waiting on the ballistics report from the bullets they pulled out of the fountain. As soon as I know something, you will- Thomas, hello!"_

Philip jumped at the hand on his shoulder. He glanced upward to see Thomas standing above him on the house's porch, a can of paint in one hand. "Margaret, a pleasure," Thomas nodded to her. "How are things in the homeland?"

" _A bit dull since you all left,"_ Margaret replied. _"Unless you work in the media. I think the last story I heard was that you'd been abducted by aliens, Your Highness."_

Philip snickered. "Fought one," he muttered under his breath. He looked at the can of paint in Thomas's hand. "What are you and Nick up to?" he asked.

Thomas grinned, and dropped a paintbrush in his lap. "Giving the old place a makeover," he informed him. "Let Margaret get back to work so you can start!"

Margaret burst out laughing at the look on Philip's face. " _You know, I do think I hear the phone,"_ she said, and ended the video call.

Philip whacked Thomas in the leg with the paintbrush.

* * *

"Awesome," Tyler proclaimed a few weeks later when Philip met him outside the house. Shelby, Riley, Koda and Ivan piled out of his Jeep and stared openmouthed at the house.

"Painting all of that was definitely _not_ awesome," Philip replied tiredly, "but I am glad you approve, Tyler."

Shelby threw her arms around him and Philip had to take a step to keep from falling over. "I'm so excited you're back!" she told him. "Have I mentioned that?"

"Only every other day," Riley joked. He nodded to the house. "Who's your friends?"

Philip glanced up at the porch to where Thomas and Nick were watching, a safe distance away. "You've met Thomas," he told them, "and the other is Nick de Latour. Security," he explained, when Koda looked confused.

"They not wearing suits," Koda noted.

Philip grinned. "They blend in better without them," he told his friend. "And speaking of 'blending'…only Thomas knows about the Rangers, so…perhaps we should keep that talk to a minimum tonight?"

Ivan gave him a short bow. "As you wish, my Prince," he told Philip.

 _I may regret this_ , Philip thought, but he had really wanted his friends to see the place and spend some time away from the museum. Miss Morgan had begged off, citing work, and Chase was on a date. "Well, shall we?" Philip asked, gesturing to the house. "Thomas cooked tonight."

"What's on the menu?" Riley asked, following everyone into the house. Philip led them through the modest living room to the back of the house. The group stopped short in the kitchen. The table was set…with four chairs. Shelby glanced at Philip in confusion.

His eyes widened. _Oh._ "Oh, we're not eating in here," he explained quickly. "It's nice enough outside, I thought maybe we could eat on the front porch?"

Shelby grinned. "This is _not_ how I imagined my first dinner with royalty would go," she laughed, grabbing Tyler's arm and pulling him toward the food on the table. Philip caught Koda's eye drifting toward a tray of meat and vegetables.

"Smells amazing!" Koda proclaimed, reaching for a piece of meat with his bare hands. Philip saw Thomas open his mouth to say something and waved him away. Koda plucked the meat from the tray and dropped it on his plate.

"What is it?" Ivan asked, helping himself to some in a more dignified manner.

"Hangi," Thomas explained. "It's a traditional New Zealand dish-"

"And Chase is missing it!" Riley laughed.

"-Anyway, it's meat and vegetables, cooked all day in an underground oven," Thomas finished.

"One I nearly fell into, stepped on, or walked over more than once today," Nick spoke up with a grin. "Speaking of, Your Highness," he said to Philip. "I think I'll take mine to go. I want to get in another walk of the perimeter before it gets dark."

Philip nodded to him. "Enjoy it," he told Nick. He fixed himself a plate and walked out to join his friends, who were in the midst of reminding Koda that forks were a thing. The six rangers and Thomas joked and ate and talked long after Nick came back from his rounds. Then, Thomas and Nick excused themselves to go in to watch "American Ninja Warrior," which was fascinating to both of them.

"If they only knew," Ivan grinned as the door closed behind them. The Rangers all exchanged a smile.

"On that subject, what have I missed?" Philip asked them. "It feels very strange to be here but not involved with all of you."

"You've got other things to worry about," Tyler assured him. "And we got this."

"Mostly," Shelby muttered under her breath, and Tyler hushed her with an elbow.

Philip looked between the two. "What do you mean, mostly?"

"Heckyl almost steal Energems," Koda explained to him.

"Heckyl….I heard that name when we fought Ice Age," Philip said, his eyes widening. "What happened?"

Riley recounted their encounter with Nightmare. "It was a close one. We thought he was a friend, but it turns out he's just after the Energems," he finished.

"I wish I could've been there to help you," Philip said guiltily. He rested his head against the wall.

"Hey," Tyler told him. "Again, you've got other stuff to worry about. Has there been any news on this guy that's after you?"

Philip shook his head. "Unfortunately, he's vanished. No pictures, no random acts of violence."

"That's good, isn't it?" Ivan asked him.

"I wish he _would_ try something," Philip said. "Of course, the last time I thought that, he shot up a charity event, so I should perhaps be careful what I wish for," he added darkly. He closed his eyes. "Part of me wishes I could've just morphed at the party and gone after him myself."

" _That_ would've made a good picture," Tyler grinned. Then his face turned serious. "Philip, we've got some technology that other people don't…maybe we could help find this guy for you?"

Philip shook his head. "It would appear for the moment that we all have our own missions," he told the team leader. "Battles that require our complete focus on two different fronts. But, my safety be damned," he said, looking around at his friends, "saving the world and protecting the Energems is the war." He glanced over at Ivan with a small smile. "As a Prince, I'm used to serving my people, protecting them." Ivan inclined his head respectfully in his direction. "And I won't let this coward stop me from doing my job."

"That was a hell of a speech," Riley whispered under his breath to Koda.

Koda grinned. "Prince good at his job."


	24. Chapter 24

Philip stumbled bleary-eyed down the stairs and into the kitchen. Nick and Thomas looked up from the table as he poured himself a cup of coffee and sank into a chair.

Thomas frowned. "Couldn't sleep again?" he asked him.

Philip consumed half the mug before shaking his head. "I think it's too quiet or something," he admitted.

"I could call up Annabeth's father, if you like," Thomas offered. "He could yell at you a bit."

"I'm sure Margaret could send over some bills and paperwork to sign," Nick added. "I think the budget review is in a month or so."

"There's plenty of land on this property for me to bury you in," Philip threatened them both. "And I know some wonderful archaeologists." His two friends laughed at him and he could only shake his head.

"Perhaps you just need to get out of here for a bit," Thomas suggested, with a glance at Nick. "Maybe we could go into town, take a walk about."

Before Nick could speak, there was a strange humming sound that echoed through the house. Nick's hand reached for his sidearm, but Philip waved him off. "I believe that's my mobile," he told him. He got up from the table and jogged up the stairs.

"Bets on who that might be?" Thomas raised an eyebrow.

Nick grinned. "A beautiful blonde with glasses, perhaps?"

* * *

"This is Philip," Philip answered the phone, leaning up against the window in his bedroom.

" _Philip, hello. It's Miss Morgan."_

Philip frowned. "Is everything all right?" he asked. "Is it Snide? Or Fury?"

" _No, nothing like that. I mean, it is ranger related, but nothing to be concerned about."_ Philip detected a hint of a smile in the museum director's voice. " _Actually, I wondered if we might be able to borrow you and the Graphite Energem for a bit this morning."_

"Of course," Philip said automatically. "What time?"

Miss Morgan chose a time, then added, " _Before you come down…I should probably tell you one other thing. You're going to meet another new face- Tyler's father."_

"His father?" Philip frowned. "I, all right, I suppose, but why-"

" _Tyler's father has been missing for ten years,"_ Miss Morgan explained. " _It's complicated, but long story short, his father, James Navarro, has been found…and he's one of us."_ She must have sensed Philip's confusion because she added, " _He's a Ranger. The Aqua Ranger, to be more specific."_

"Oh," was all he could say. Being a Ranger certainly made for some...interesting...stories. This, no doubt, was a hell of a one.

* * *

When he came back downstairs, he was smiling. Nick smirked smugly at Thomas, an _I told you so_ look on his face. "Must have been a good call," he said.

"Gentlemen, grab the keys. We're going into town for a bit," Philip told them.

"We're _what_ now?" Nick's jaw dropped.

"My presence has been requested at the museum to work out the logistics of bringing the Zandar treasures back to Amber Beach," Philip explained. "The museum director would like a meeting."

Thomas spoke up, "Well, Nick, we were looking for an excuse to go into town anyway," he said. "The museum's small, few entry/exit points. It's a security dream."

"And I'll just be in a boring conference inside some room," Philip added. He exchanged a glance with Thomas that plainly said _Not really._

Nick glanced down at his coffee. "As you wish, Your Highness," he said. "But I'll need this to go."

Philip was already at the coffee maker. "You're not the only one, I assure you."

* * *

Kendall Morgan was waiting for him when he stepped through the front doors with his sunglasses, gray dress pants, white shirt and silver tie. "Mr. Philips, welcome," she greeted him, handing him a VIP badge and gesturing down the hall. The two of them made their way quickly to the freight elevator and down to the Ranger's base in the basement of the museum. "Glad you could make it on such short notice," she told him. "I have something pretty exciting in the works."

"I look forward to hearing about it," Philip replied, before being swept up in a massive bear hug by Koda. "Oof. Hello, my friend. Good to see you." He looked around the room. Ivan and Riley were sparring; Ivan with his sword and Riley with what looked like a fencing sabre. Chase and Shelby were over by the computer banks, Chase with a screwdriver in hand and an open panel, and Shelby looking anxious to help.

Koda set Philip down and dragged him by the arm over to a slab of rock. "My painting," he said proudly, pointing to it. Philip examined the rock. "An impressive likeness of a…is it a woolly mammoth?" he asked, and Koda grinned. "Are you familiar with this beast?"

Koda nodded. "Born on mammoth hunt, remember?"

Philip nodded fondly, recalling Koda informing him of just that event the first time he'd ever met him. _Had I known then what I know now…_ "I do seem to recall." He turned his attention to the wall, where his friends' Energems glowed in their holders. _Ah. Right._ "What is it you needed my Energem for?" he asked Miss Morgan.

Before she could answer, voices echoed from across the room and two figures slipped down the secret slide entrance to the base. Philip glanced up to see Tyler and a man who could _only_ be James Navarro, his father, land on the concrete. For a moment, he felt a pang of jealousy. He and Tyler had been close in age when Tyler's father had disappeared and Philip's own had passed away. _What if I met my father today?_ Philip wondered. _What would he think of all this?_

Tyler was introducing Mr. Navarro to his friends around the room. James Navarro was looking over Koda's shoulder at his mammoth. "Very authentic! You must have studied at the university."

Koda frowned. "U-uni…what?"

Tyler grimaced. "Um, Dad, there's something-"

Philip's eyes widened. "He hasn't told him about…" he whispered to Shelby.

Shelby shook her head. "Nope," she replied, popping the 'p' at the end of the word.

"And your sword. If I'm not mistaken, it's from Zandar?" James had moved on to Ivan, who presented the archaeologist with his weapon of choice. "It's a beautiful replica," he added, to Ivan's _great_ consternation. The normally affable knight looked offended in the _worst_ way.

"King George _himself_ gave me that sword!" Ivan thundered. Philip hid a grin.

James stumbled backwards, clearly taken aback. "Right." He coughed. "And, then I suppose you'll tell me that…that…. _he-"_

He pointed at Philip, who rose out of his chair with ease. "That _he's_ the Prince of Zandar."

Philip offered him a slight bow. "Philip the Third," he introduced himself. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Navarro." He couldn't help but grin inwardly at the dazed and confused look on James' face.

Miss Morgan apparently had decided it was time to step in. "It's all true," she told him, gesturing at the three of them. "Koda is a caveman, and he bonded to the Blue Energem 100,000 years ago. And Ivan really _is_ a knight of Zandar-or he was, 800 years ago. And Philip, well, he really _is_ the Prince."

"The current one," Philip said under his breath, and Chase snickered.

"See…when you bond to an Energem…" Shelby spoke up, pleased to finally be involved in the conversation, "You…you don't age."

"Which is why you and Tyler look more like brothers than father and son," Chase told him.

Philip's jaw dropped. "Hold on a moment," he said. "That was _not_ mentioned when I bonded to the Graphite Energem." He looked around the room. "Y-You mean to tell me…that as long as I am bonded with this-" He pulled the Energem from his pocket and held it up in front of his eyes. "-that I'm never going to get _old_?" He glared at Miss Morgan, who only big her lip and looked away. " _That_ may have been useful to know," he commented dryly.

"Surprise?" Riley offered with a shrug.

James Navarro looked as though someone had just confirmed to him that dinosaurs _still_ roamed the planet. "I…I always wondered but…" He looked over at Tyler.

Tyler nodded shortly. "Uh, anyway, so why'd you call us back, Miss Morgan?" he asked her, echoing Philip from earlier.

Miss Morgan gestured for everyone to gather around the computer banks. "By the time I'm finished, Tyler's new supercharged mode _should_ be able to access powers from all our Energems," she explained to the group. "Which is why I asked you to come in," she told Philip, holding out a hand.

Philip removed the pencil-lead gray Energem from his pants pocket and offered it to her. She set the Energem in a clear tube above the computer banks, then added the Aqua Energem. The two gems glowed in the tubes, giving off pale gray and light blue light.

Philip noticed James glaring at his. "That Energem stole ten years of my life," he said quietly, earning him a curious look from his son. "But then again…it also _saved_ my life, so…"

"You never did tell us how it happened," Tyler spoke up, leaning against the console with his arms crossed over his chest. Philip thought he detected…something…in Tyler's tone. Bitterness. It was like listening to himself, back before his mother passed…back before his first encounter with the Rangers…

 _What would I have been had my father been alive as I grew up_? he wondered, tuning out James's story. Would he have been the same spoiled, attention-grabbing child he'd been? Forced to try to grow up too soon, and fighting it every step of the way?

He remembered his father, Philip II, as a kind, fun-loving man who was loved by Zandar and his family. His bedtime stories were the best-it was how he'd learned Ivan's story, after all. He'd used to take Philip with him when he went to the country's lone joint forces base, and Philip had met the pilots and received an honorary set of wings.

He thought about Tyler. Tyler, who had grown up searching for his father every chance he got. Who never stopped serving others and fought fiercely for his friends. _Perhaps Tyler is more of a prince than I, in some respects,_ Philip mused to himself.

"You should have come home," the subject of his thoughts spoke harshly, and Philip blinked, returning his attention to the Navarros. Tyler was talking to his father, his tone sharp. "Or _called_. _Something_ , to let us know you were still out there! Can I ever forgive you?" Tyler scoffed. "That Energem might've taken ten years of your life, but it took _so_ much more from me and Mom!"

"Tyler, I didn't have a choice! To risk Fury finding my family?" James seemed taken aback.

"We could've _helped_ you! Or ran away together!" Tyler shot back.

James opened his mouth to say something, but an alarm sounding cut him off. "Alien biosigns," Miss Morgan reported. She frowned at Philip and James. "Your Energems aren't finished yet," she said apologetically.

"We can handle ourselves," Tyler said shortly. "Come on, guys." He spun on a sneakered heel and ran for the exit, the others right behind him.

* * *

James sank into a chair. "That went well," he groaned.

"He just needs some time," Miss Morgan told him reassuringly, placing a hand on his shoulder. "He spent ten years looking for you, never sure if you were alive. He just needs time to process."

"I did it to keep him safe," James said, head in his hands.

"He knows," Philip spoke up, wondering why he'd spoken. He barely knew James. "Deep down, he understands. He's just never had a chance to say everything he's wanted to say until now, and you're bearing the brunt of it."

"You sound like you speak from experience," James said, looking up at him. "Your Highness," he added as an afterthought.

Philip shook his head. "Please. Philip will do fine. And yes…I lost my father when I was young. Younger than Tyler. There's much I wish I could tell my father that I'll never be able to. Some of it…" He shrugged one shoulder. "Perhaps not the most cordial," he said, almost under his breath. "Tyler and I are two _very_ different people. But I believe I know him well enough to tell you this," Philip told James, "he will make up for lost time, and make up with you just as quickly."

Philip held out a hand, and James shook it. "Thanks…Philip."

Warning lights blared throughout the base, startling Philip. He whipped around to see Miss Morgan grab their Energems from the tubes. "The Rangers are in trouble. We have to go." She handed Philip his Energem back, and he ran over to the charging stations, showing James where the battery-like Aqua Dino Chargers were powering up. Then, the two of them followed Kendall out of the museum. Bright light greeted them outdoors and Philip squinted as he ran, following Miss Morgan to a museum-branded truck. He slid in the back, letting James have the front, and they roared away from the staff parking lot.

She threw it in park minutes later and the three got out. "Dino Charger, ready!" Philip intoned. "Unleash the Power!" He clicked the Charger as the yellow pistol morpher appeared in his hands. He shoved the charger into the barrel and fired, his suit appearing moments later. He had forgotten the _rush_ that came with morphing. _Bring on Fury, and anybody else. I'm ready!_


	25. Chapter 25

He could see instantly why Miss Morgan had said the rangers were in trouble.

None of his friends were morphed. He followed the Aqua-clad ranger into the warehouse as James fired at their current foe, knocking them off balance. The Graphite, Aqua and Purple rangers stepped protectively between the rangers and the two monsters.

"Got you covered, guys," James said over his shoulder, his pistol pointing forward.

"We had this," Tyler muttered back.

Philip shot him an incredulous look. _You most certainly did_ not _have this!_ "I think it's time we made our exit," he suggested, and the three morphed Rangers fired their blasters, creating a smokescreen of sparks and flame.

The trip back to the museum was a tense one. James didn't speak, Kendall kept her eyes on the road…and Philip watched Tyler's Jeep in the rearview. His Red Ranger friend did _not_ look happy.

* * *

Back at the base, Philip hung back with James while Miss Morgan analyzed Tyler's red Energem. Shelby had a hand on Tyler's arm as their team leader leaned on the console.

"It's some kind of control device," Miss Morgan said after a few minutes. "It appears to interrupt the bond between Ranger and Energem."

"That's why we cannot morph," Ivan confirmed grimly.

Miss Morgan bit her lip. Then, "Maybe I can break the ring," she suggested. Philip watched as she placed it in some sort of machine, and the others stepped back. She flicked a few switches. The lights flickered in the base. _That's always a promising sign,_ , Philip grimaced.

There was a sound, almost like breaking glass. The lights in the base went completely out, but the red emergency backup lighting came on almost instantaneously. "Did it work? Riley asked, squinting in the dim light.

Miss Morgan took the red Energem out and held it up to the light.

"It came off!" Tyler exulted. He gave his father a Look, almost as if to say, _See? No problem!_

"That's not good," Miss Morgan said suddenly, and Tyler's smile disappeared. She handed it to him.

"What wrong?" Koda asked.

"There's a crack," Tyler said, holding it out to the group. Philip used his mobile's flashlight to illuminate the gem. A jagged crack rippled down one side of it. Tyler's eyes flashed to Miss Morgan. "Can I morph?"

"I-"

"That would be risky," the voice of Keeper echoed in the darkness. Philip had almost forgotten about the alien being who had created this whole thing in the first place. "The crack may continue to grow until it is irreparable."

"Can you fix it?" Chase asked Miss Morgan.

"The Energem is like any other gemstone," she said. "Gems form under certain conditions…temperature, pressure…It would be almost impossible to recreate those exact conditions here."

"Samson Caves," James spoke up quietly from his place next to Philip. "Rusty-my partner-" he reminded them, "and I…that's where we were excavating. There's a spot-"

"The main cavern has a lava pool," Tyler cut in. "Heat and pressure." He twirled the gem in his hands.

"I'm going with you," James said quickly, and his son shot him a glare.

"I can do this on my own," Tyler shot back.

The others stood awkwardly by, watching the exchange.

"Perhaps it is better if someone goes with you," Philip suggested. "Those…. _things_ from earlier, they might try to accost you now that you cannot morph." Tyler glared at him, but Philip fixed him with a steely blue gaze. "You have to admit, it's the right approach," he said, injecting just a _hint_ of royalty, turning the suggestion into a command.

"He's got a point," Shelby pointed out.

"Fine." Tyler turned and headed out of the base. "I've got gear in the Jeep. Let's go."

James glanced over his shoulder at Philip, who offered him a sympathetic smile. Then, the Aqua ranger followed his son out into the corridor.

Chase grinned. "You basically just forced them into father-son time," he said. "Nice."

"Will they be okay?" Koda wondered.

Philip put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Yes," he said confidently. "Excuse me a moment." He took off after the two of them, looking around for Nick and Thomas before catching up to Tyler. "Tyler. A moment?"

The Red Ranger looked at him, then shrugged, coming to stand in the loading dock. "Your father means well," Philip said. "Your father just wants to protect you."

Tyler snorted. "Yeah, well, I've spend the last ten years doing just fine without him."

"I'm not saying you should just let him smother you. You should tell him that-but rationally instead of lashing out at him. You're his son. He wants what's best for you." Philip glanced over at James before continuing. "Is what he did any different than what I've done?" he questioned. "I flew halfway across the world to keep my friends safe. I couldn't bring them with me without exposing them to danger. Sometimes, that is what is required to do what is right," he said. "Tyler there's not a moment that goes by that I don't wish I could ask my father for his advice. I never got the chance to learn how to be a king. I've made so many mistakes I've lost count of them all. You have the chance to make up for lost time with your father, and it's a gift you should cherish." He nodded over Tyler's shoulder, and Tyler turned, looking back. "Remember, you're not the only one who lost ten years, Tyler." With that, he turned to go back inside.

"Philip," Tyler called to him, and Philip turned. "Take care of my team," he told the prince seriously.

Philip gave him a short bow. "I shall protect them with my life," he promised.

* * *

The moments passed tensely. Philip rested his head on his arms, watching the others pace the room as Miss Morgan ran tests on their Energems. He was thankful his own was unharmed and safely in the holder on the wall. They listened in on the comm system as Tyler and his father descended into the cave system. Every time they would bicker, Philip gripped the chair back tighter and hoped that Tyler would come around, that James would understand…and that father and son would see eye to eye.

The decision for Tyler to burrow deeper into the lava with Dino Armor X was a terrifying prospect, especially after they lost contact with him. _The two of them just found each other again_ , Philip lamented. _This cannot be how it ends for them._

"You've got problems," Kendall announced to James over the comm. "Alien biosigns, right outside the cave. You've got to morph, keep them from getting to Tyler." She looked up at Philip. "And we're on our way," she added, cutting off the communication.

"Why aren't _we_ going?" Shelby demanded.

"It's too dangerous for you without your Energems," Miss Morgan told her. "The two of us can still morph. We'll go. You'll be safer here, and you can monitor the comms for Tyler." With that as her last word, she grabbed Philip's arm and pulled him out the door for the second time that day.

 _Nick and Thomas are going to think this is the longest meeting in history_ , he thought as they sped away.

* * *

"Mr. Navarro!" Philip called, seeing James huddling just outside the cave's entrance. The Aqua ranger waved them over.

"Any word from Tyler?" he asked Kendall. She shook her head.

"I've got a word for you!" The three of them started, turned to see Singe and a handful of the green-haired Vivix cronies. Singe smirked at them. "Defeat!"

Philip fished the Graphite Energem from his pocket and turned to James. "Your show," he said, and stepped back. James's suit appeared in a burst of Aqua light, and Philip and Miss Morgan followed quickly after. James dove into the fight headfirst, attacking the Vivix. Philip joined him, dodging under the arm of one Vivix, grabbing it, and twisting. He shoved it toward James who made short work of it with his Dino Blaster. He heard an explosion and saw Miss Morgan advancing on a second group of them with rapid-fire shots.

"Look out!" He heard James's warning too late. Something hit him square in the chest and he was blown off his feet, head and back slamming into the side of a hill. Philip dropped to his knees, watched James advance on Singe only to get knocked away into Kendall. The Aqua and Purple rangers hit the ground. "Are you all right? Philip crawled over to them, thankful for the suit. He helped pull Kendall to her feet as the three of them faced Singe.

"I'll take those Energems," Singe hissed.

Philip clenched a fist. _Over my dead body_.

Singe took a step forward, and staggered back as the earth exploded in front of him as something came charging from underneath. Displaced dirt and rock rained down as Tyler Navarro landed on his feet in front of them.

"Tyler! You're okay!" James said in relief.

Tyler looked back, popped his visor up on his helmet. He grinned at his father. "I'm better than okay."

"And so is his Energem, I see," Miss Morgan noted.

Tyler pulled out the T-Rex Supercharge Blaster and fired at Singe, knocking him off his feet. He rolled backwards, laying himself flat out on his stomach.

Singe howled. "The Zotac Ring controller! It's destroyed!"

"The what?" Philip frowned.

"That must be what he was using to create those rings on the Energems," Miss Morgan suggested.

"Now I'll destroy _you!_ " Singe growled, getting on his feet and throwing himself at the rangers.

"Save the trash talk," Philip said, throwing a hard punch into Singe's back. James attacked right after him, leaping into the air and aiming a boot for Singe's face. Singe grabbed his ankle and tossed him aside.

"Guess I'm a little out of practice," James wheezed as he landed on the ground, his suit disappearing from the force. Philip went into a diving roll and blocked a Vivix from getting to him.

"Hey! Don't mess with my dad!" Tyler burst forward, catching Singe's arm between his hands and shoving it away. "Hey Miss Morgan! He said the controller is destroyed. Does that mean-"

"Yes! You should be able to access all our weapons now! Do it!" She ducked under a Vivix and knocked it away with a well-placed kick.

Philip helped James to his feet and the two of them watched as new armaments appeared at the ends of Tyler's fists. He could hear the grin in Tyler's voice as he looked back at his father. "Tri-Ankylo Formation! It's time for a triple play!" His left arm had a pink drill. His right held a bright blue sledgehammer. He used the drill to break up the rocks around him, swirling them into the air. Then, "This is for my dad. Ankylo Hammer Punch!" He swung the massive sledgehammer, batting the rock back at Singe and the Vivix like a major league hitter in the home run derby.

But he wasn't done. "And for the guy who helped me get my head on straight. Ankylo-Pacha Formation!"

Philip grinned under his helmet. The sledgehammer stayed, but the drill was replaced with a mace not unlike the one on Philip's own Zord. Tyler swung it, batting Singe back. Three hits later, and Singe disappeared in a ball of flame, smoke, and rock.

Tyler demorphed and ran over to Philip and James. "Dad! Are you okay?"

"Just fine, son," James said with a smile. Tyler threw his arms around him. "Just fine."

Philip glanced over at Kendall. _Yes. Things are going to be just fine_.

* * *

A few hours later, Philip, Nick, and Thomas returned to the house. "It's going to take a few months but fortunately, most of what needs to be done can be done by phone," Philip was saying as they exited the car. "I'll just have to make sure to stay away from the museum while the treasures are there. Someone might put two and two together."

His phone rang. "Excuse me, gentlemen," he said, walking around the side of the house to the backyard. "Philip speaking."

" _It's Tyler_."

"Didn't I just see you?" Philip grinned, walking out to the fence.

Tyler laughed on the other end of the phone. " _Yeah, you did. Look, I just wanted to tell you thanks. For the talk. And for running interference between me and my dad. After you guys left, we had a talk, and I think we're both on the same page now."_

"That's good to hear, Tyler," Philip told him honestly. "I'm glad you two will be able to spend some time together without arguing."

" _Yeah well….that's the thing,"_ Tyler said. " _My dad…he's leaving again."_

"What?" Philip sat down in the grass. "What do you mean?"

" _He and Keeper thought that maybe he should use his geology background to help look for the Silver Energem. It's the only one we haven't found yet,"_ Tyler explained. " _He said that he knows I'm not eight years old anymore, and that I can take care of myself. And that the world is counting on us finding that gem."_

"Tyler…I'm sorry. Are you okay?" Philip asked him, rubbing a hand down his face.

" _I will be. Need time to process. At least this time, I've got a phone number for him,"_ Tyler sounded hopeful. " _And I'll see him around. I know he'll be safe with the Aqua Energem. It's better than nothing."_

"True enough. Please, call if you need anything," Philip told him. "Ranger-related…or otherwise."

" _I will. Thanks again."_ Tyler hung up. Philip leaned on the fence overlooking Amber Beach, deep in thought.

He almost missed his phone ringing again. He picked it up on the last ring. "Yes?" he asked.

" _Your Highness, it's Martin."_

Philip smiled. "Martin! It's good to hear from you, sir."

" _Nice to hear your voice as well, Philip. We have news regarding our assassin here at home."_

Philip straightened, his mouth set in a firm line. "Tell me everything."


	26. Chapter 26

Philip filled a mug with coffee (and a little something extra. He was pretty sure he was going to need it for this conversation) and took a seat next to Thomas at the kitchen table. Nick backed up from setting up the video chat with Martin.

Martin looked well. "No cane?" Philip asked him.

Martin shook his head. "No sir, not anymore. Doctors say everything is healing quite well."

"Good to hear," Philip smiled.

"So what news do you have for us?" Nick de Latour asked Zandar's head of palace security.

Martin shifted so he was leaning into the camera. "If you recall our meeting about the children's hospital visit," he began, "Margaret kept the press contacts to a minimum, to limit who was aware of the visit. We now think we know who leaked your whereabouts that day," he told Philip and Thomas.

Philip's eyes narrowed. He hadn't forgotten the car accident that had claimed his driver's life and given Martin his injuries. "And?"

"After numerous attempts at gaining employee records, we came up with a name: Andre Dumond. Mr. Dumond worked for the _Zandarian Free Press_. He also quit his job shortly after the accident."

"What a coincidence," Thomas muttered under his breath.

"We have been unable to locate Mr. Dumond. His employer informed us that he didn't return to work to turn in his press credentials. He is not receiving unemployment cheques, and we can't seem to find any property registered in his name. And the tabloid that ran your photo refuses to name their source."

"So no one knows where he is?" Nick clarified, and Martin nodded.

"What about the shots fired at the charity gala?" Philip questioned, leaning back in his chair. "Any results there?"

Martin nodded. "We're able to identify the weapon. The weapon is a Beretta M9."

Nick swore. Philip turned to him, eyebrows raised. Nick pulled his weapon out of the shoulder holster and set it on the table in front of the prince. "Those are the ones issued by palace security." His tone was grim.

"Are you saying…" Philip tried to wrap his head around it. "That someone on…on my _staff_ was responsible for that night?"

"It would explain how they got a weapon onto the grounds, as well as the tabloid photos," Martin said. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Your Highness, I am _so_ sorry. Not for the first time, I question my ability to be head of security-"

"Don't even think about resigning," Philip cut him off. "This person has outsmarted us at every turn. I trust you, Martin, as my father did. This is _not_ your fault." He leaned back, ran a hand through his hair. "There's been no incidents since I left?"

Martin shook his head. "No, Your Highness. No photos, no other incidences of anything suspicious."

Philip glanced at his two compatriots. "Let's fix that, shall we?" He sat up. "Martin, have Margaret make arrangements. I'm coming home."

"Sir, I don't-" Nick began, but Philip held up a hand.

"This needs to end. The only way to do that is to draw Mr. Dumond out into the open. I can't do that from here."

"You want to offer yourself as _bait_?" Nick's jaw dropped.

Martin rolled his eyes on the screen. "Don't be so surprised, Mr. de Latour. It's not the first time."

* * *

"What are you going to tell your friends?" Thomas asked as Philip packed his suitcase upstairs.

"Oh, I think they can handle themselves," Philip said. "James Navarro is around, bringing their total to eight. And the Chargers stay here, so they can use the Graphite powers and the PachyZord if they need it." He looked at his friend.

He shouldered his bag. "Besides, I've taken on Fury and Singe. I think we can handle one man."

"That one man is someone on your staff, Philip," Thomas pointed out. "Are you prepared to deal with that kind of betrayal?"

Philip paused. "I'm tired of hiding. I'd rather confront this particular matter head on. No matter where it leads."

* * *

"Please keep me apprised of things here," Philip told Tyler over the phone the next morning. "My promise still stands. If I'm needed, I will be here."

" _We'll be fine,"_ Tyler assured him. " _Go get this guy."_ Someone in the background called, _"Good luck!"_ and was immediately hushed.

" _Is that what you say when someone's going to go catch a royal assassin?"_

" _What else do you want me to say?"_

Philip grinned, shaking his head. "I'm going to miss you all. Please try to stay out of trouble while I'm gone."

He could almost hear the grin in Tyler's voice. " _We'll do our best_!"

"Say hello to your father for me when you see him. Talk to you soon." Philip hung up and followed Thomas to the plane. Once in his seat, he took a breath and let it out. _This is going to end. One way or the other._

* * *

The helicopter touched down on the grounds and Margaret met Philip, Thomas and Nick at the doors. "Good to have you back, Your Highness," Margaret greeted him with a smile.

"Good to be back," he replied, returning the smile. "I see the country is still running?"

"More or less," Margaret teased. "Though I do still need the budget report by noon next Monday."

"So glad you saved that one for me," Philip rolled his eyes. They made their way down the hall to his office and he sat down in the familiar chair, looking at the family photo on his desk. Martin joined them a few minutes later. "Welcome back, Philip," he greeted him, forgetting the title. Philip didn't bother to correct him.

"Martin. You look well." Nick closed the door and Philip clasped his hands together, leaning on the desk top. "No new developments on Mr. Dumond since our last conversation?"

Martin shook his head. "Unfortunately no. However…." He handed Philip a file. "We found the car. He ditched it over the border so it took longer than I'd have liked, but we found it."

"Anything that connects us to our would-be assassin?" Thomas asked.

"No fingerprints or DNA. Car is clean. Looks like it was stolen from a rental car lot."

"This guy is smart," Philip said. "But there's got to be a way we can draw him out."

"The budget meeting," Nick said. The others in the room looked at him. "That's a public meeting. And the press is allowed in. It's a perfect time for someone to get in with a camera."

"Or a pistol," Margaret pointed out. "Are you crazy?"

"No, he's right," Philip said. "I have to present the final numbers to the board. It's the perfect opportunity." He turned to Martin and Nick. "Can you work out a way to lay a trap?"

"Preferably _without_ getting the Prince killed?" Thomas added.

Martin looked at Nick. "Let us work something out. We'll have it to you by 5PM tomorrow."

"Done," Philip said. He leaned back. "Which means I guess I have a budget to review."

"Sounds nice and mundane," Thomas said knowingly. Philip looked at him sideways.

* * *

The next morning, Philip woke up early, staring at his ceiling. The budget report was nearly complete, he just needed to review the final totals. He got dressed. It felt strange to be back in his suit and tie again. The Graphite Energem was still tucked safely into his pocket. He looked at himself in the mirror and straightened his tie.

He was heading into battle. _Just in a different suit and on a different battlefront_ , he thought. He slipped a hand into his pocket reassuringly. The Energem hummed under his fingers.

Philip passed Margaret's desk on his way into his office. She looked up as he passed and hung up the phone abruptly. He looked at her curiously. "Sorry, Your Highness. That was…uh…a personal call. I know they're not allowed on personal time, but-"

"I don't think one is grounds for firing," Philip told her. He looked at her, concerned. "Is everything all right?"

She bit her lip and paused before answering. "Just fine sir. Martin and Mr. de Latour would like a meeting at noon, if that's all right."

"Ahead of schedule. Excellent. I'll be here." He rolled his eyes. "A few last-minute numbers to look at."

"Coffee?" Margaret asked.

"Black, please. Thank you." He turned to go, then paused. "Margaret…if there's ever anything you need…please, know that you can always ask."

Margaret looked up at him. "Yes, Your Highness. Thank you."

He nodded to her and headed into his office. _It's going to be a long day._

* * *

At noon on the dot, Martin, Nick, Thomas and Margaret were in Philip's office." Thomas shut the blinds and Margaret made sure the door was locked behind them. Martin stood in front of the group. "All right. Here's what it's going to look like. The senate chamber has three exits, one outside, and two back into the palace hallways. I will be placed at the outside door and Mr. de Latour will be at the west hall exit. Thomas," he said, looking at Philip's friend and personal trainer, "I'd like you at the east exit. You're going to work for me for a day."

Thomas nodded. "Sounds good to me," he replied.

"The Prince will be here, at the podium," Nick continued, placing a schematic of the chamber up on the television screen. "We've invited the _Zandarian Free Press_ as the only newspaper in attendance, as well as two stations that will be televising the meeting on public access."

"And since our friend did not return his press credentials," Philip noted, "that will be his entry point."

"We should be able to get him at the door," Martin said. "If not, we'll have eyes on him in the chamber. If he tries anything, we'll be ready for him."

"Orders are to apprehend alive," Nick added. "Though I must say it won't break my heart if that ends up not being the case."

"I want him for Alvin's death," Philip said. "So do your best." Nick nodded.

"Any questions?" Martin asked the group. When no one said anything, he flicked off the screen. "In that case, I suggest we all go over our roles for tomorrow, and Thomas…we need to issue you a pistol."

"I've got an appointment this afternoon. Can we do that tomorrow before the meeting?" Thomas asked. "My back's not a fan of all that flying we've done."

"Philip just needs to break up with that American girlfriend of his," Nick teased.

Philip pointed with his index and pinky at the two of them. "You _do_ remember that I write both of your cheques, right?"

* * *

_To: dinoitall_

_From: (private)_

_Shelby,_

_Your last email made me laugh- a welcome distraction. I am glad to hear that Tyler is back to normal after his 'date' with that monster. That's a new one. I hope that Chase and his girlfriend are doing well-it is hard to keep this secret from people you care about, so it is probably best in the long run that she discovered his secret._

_How is Riley's brother faring after his encounter with the TitanoZord? I would imagine that must have been quite the shock to wake up in the belly of a giant metal dinosaur._

_Onto more serious things. So the TitanoZord and the Silver Energem have been revealed? Have you found the Silver Ranger? I hope that you discover his (or her) identity soon so they may aid you in your fight against Snide. It pains me that I cannot be there with you. The good news is that my fight here in Zandar may be coming to an end. My security team and I have created a plan to draw our assassin out._

_Shelby…in the event something goes wrong with our plan (though I have complete faith and trust in my team), please make sure of two things: 1. Please make sure the Graphite Energem makes it back to Amber Beach. May you find someone else worthy of its' power. 2. Please inform Miss Morgan that the Treasures of Zandar's permanent home would then be the Amber Beach Museum. I can't think of anyone better to guard them for the foreseeable future than Ivan and the rest of you._

_Philip_


	27. Chapter 27

"What do you prefer?" Martin asked Thomas as he unlocked the arsenal locker. Thomas glanced around, surveying his choices. "I don't know, pick one," he told the head of security. "As long as I can pull the trigger and it fires something, it doesn't really matter." _And nothing in here is as flashy as the yellow gun of Philip's anyway._

Martin handed him a heavy handgun and Thomas turned it over in his hands. "This'll work."

Martin went over to the sign-out sheet to issue the pistol out. When he got there, he frowned. "Wait a moment." He picked up the clipboard, studied it. He turned to the guard on duty. "When did this person come in?" he demanded.

The younger man looked at the sheet. "Just before you did, sir," he told Martin. "Said they were picking it up for a Thomas somebody."

"That's _me_ ," Thomas barked. The guard's face paled.

"I-I"

"I'll deal with you later," Martin threatened. He handed the sheet to Thomas. "We've got a problem."

"I gathered that," Thomas said dryly, glancing at the check out sheet. His eyes widened. "You're _joking_."

 _Margaret Williams_.

"Why would she check out a pistol?" Thomas wondered, his mind racing. "Unless..."

"Unless she's our palace mole," Martin said. He pulled out his phone, flicked through his messages. "Thomas. Take a look at that photo. What do you see?" He handed Thomas the phone barking at the guard on duty to ring up Nick.

Thomas studied the photo of their suspect. Andre Dumond...Around the eyes, the shape of the face... "He looks a _hell_ of a lot like Margaret, doesn't he?" Thomas realized. "They're _related."_

Martin was yelling into the phone as Thomas took off running. "Nick. I need a location on Margaret!"

* * *

"Let me help you with that," Margaret told Philip, holding the door open for him as he left his office. Philip balanced a cup of coffee in one hand and the folder with the budget in the other. The Graphite Energem felt warm against his chest.

"Thank you." He took a deep breath and let it out.

"Nervous for today?" Margaret asked him.

"A bit," he replied as they headed for the chamber. "I have confidence in my friends," he added. "I'm more worried for everyone else than myself."

"We'll be fine," Margaret said. She put a hand on his arm. "It'll all work out in the end."

He stopped midstride, glanced down at her. Margaret blushed and removed her arm. "I-I-"

"I don't mind," Philip assured her. Then, boldly... "Perhaps after this morning…we can discuss that further?"

She ducked her head. "I…I'd like that."

He smiled at her. "Good." The two of them continued walking, heading to the chamber. Margaret held the door open for him and Philip slid past her.

A shot rang out. Philip dropped the budget report and the coffee as he rolled, going for cover behind the podium on the platform. "Margaret! Get back!" he yelled to her. He looked over at her and frowned. "Wait…" he glanced at her hands. "Why do you have a pistol?"

"I'm _trying_ to help you!" Margaret told him, firing blindly into the area she'd heard the shot.

"Don't move!" Philip glanced across the platform to where Nick de Latour was standing, his pistol leveled at Margaret. "Drop it!"

A voice somewhere out in the chamber yelled, "Margaret! No!" Another shot went into the wall near Nick's head, and he ducked back through the doorway. Another shot rang out, and someone howled in pain.

Then silence. The only thing Philip could hear was his heartbeat in his ears and his breathing.

" _Prince Philip!_ " Philip jerked at the sound of Thomas's voice. It was echoing through the chamber somewhere.

"Here!" Philip yelled from his cover, his eyes never leaving Margaret, who had turned….her gun now pointed at him.

Philip went pale. "Margaret? What-"

"Let him go!" Margaret yelled. "Let him go or I…I'll shoot Philip!"

"Margaret." Philip rose slowly to his feet. The doors burst open on either side, Martin through one and Nick through the other. "What-what is the meaning of all this?"

Margaret ignored him. "Thomas! Let my brother go!"

Philip, his hands out where she could see them so he didn't startle her, turned slowly to look out over the empty seats. Standing near the back, Thomas had a man on his knees, blonde hair, wearing a dress shirt and tie, a card hanging around his neck. "Brother?" He looked back at Margaret. "I-I don't-"

"His name is Andre Dumond _Williams_ ," Martin said, cautiously inching into the room from the side hall. "He's Margaret's brother."

 _Brother?_ Philip studied Margaret. Her face was expressionless at the revelation. _But that means..._ _he's…this whole time, she's…Oh, God…_

Thomas's words echoed in his ears: _"Are you prepared to deal with that kind of betrayal?_ "

"The man that's been trying…the man that _killed_ …" Philip couldn't put a sentence together. His head was spinning at the revelation. He looked at his personal assistant, a woman he'd known for _years_. "Explain yourself!" he said forcefully. He held up a finger in Thomas's direction. "Thomas, do _nothing_ until she _explains herself_!"

"Margaret-" Andre spoke up.

Thomas nailed him in the side with shoe. "Shut up."

Margaret kept the gun pointed at him. "Andre worked for the _Zandarian Free Press_ , using his middle name as his byline. He didn't want my standing at the palace to influence anyone. He also made money on the side, selling tabloid photos of you and Annabeth to the tabloids. When you and Annabeth got divorced…the money wasn't coming in like it used to, and there was the drinking problem…it was all a mess." She took a breath and let it out. "I told Andre when the exterior guards changed shifts and where the cameras were so he could get the photo of you in your room. The tabloids told him they wanted more, but you hardly ever _left_ , or you went to America where we couldn't follow! I told him about the visit to the children's hospital."

"Margaret," Philip breathed. "You… _Alvin…_ "

"We didn't mean for that to happen!" she cried. "Andre got overeager. It was an _accident_! He was a _wreck_ about it Philip, really. It rattled him so badly they fired him from the paper, though he never went to collect is things."

"It _rattled_ him." Philip put a hand to his fiorehead. "Margaret, he _killed_ Alvin Lourdes!" He thought of something else. "And the charity gala?" He recalled how he'd been standing _so_ close to him. "You're lucky he didn't hit you!"

"We knew photos of the chaos would sell well with the tabloids," Margaret said. "And it worked…for a time. But then you disappeared off to America _again_ and then….when you came back, we knew we needed _something_."

"Were you planning on killing me?" Philip asked her quietly. He took a step toward her. "Would a photo of my death _sell_?!"

"No!" Margaret was crying now, the gun shaking in her hand.

"Your Highness, don't move!" Nick ordered him from behind.

Philip ignored him, taking another step toward her. "I trusted you," he told her. "From the moment you were hired, I kept you in confidence! Only to find that this entire time, you...you've been plotting my _assassination?!_ " He almost choked on the word. It was unbelievable.

Her eyes flickered out into the chamber. "No! Andre was going to shoot and _miss_ and I was going to shoot back-it was all going to be just a scene! He would take my photo protecting you and with that money…"

She lowered the gun and Nick and Martin came charging in. Martin put her on her knees and Nick stood over her, gun unwaveringly pointed at center mass. She was sobbing. "Philip, I never meant to _hurt_ you. I'm _sorry_."

Philip felt tears pricking the corners of his eyes. "So am I," he said flatly. He looked at the three men who had saved his life. "Get them out of my sight."

He refused to watch them take her away. Instead, he stared at the coffee stained pages on the platform. It was where Thomas found him a few moments later, and had to practically carry him out before the press stormed the chamber. Thomas pulled him along to his office, swearing at the press to back off and get the hell out of the way. He managed to get the prince to the office and lock the door behind them, closing the drapes.

Philip stood in the middle of the dark room, a hand on his chest, silent.

"Philip-" Thomas began. His young friend whirled around. Then, he was sobbing, and Thomas crossed the room to envelope him in a hug.

* * *

Days passed. The budget meeting in the end became simply an emailed, itemized list to be approved by the courts and senate. No one saw the Prince except for Thomas and Martin. Martin and Nick drew up a short statement and released it, giving details of the story. Then, they went after the tabloids. The two were a relentless team. When the story broke of their involvement with Andre Williams, issues sat unbought on the shelves. It was looking as though they might go out of business.

Thomas placed a call to America to fill in the blanks left by the media to his friends in Amber Beach. Koda, Philip's first friend he'd made overseas, and Ivan, the knight of Zandar, were both livid, as was the rest of the group. Miss Morgan also filled Thomas in on what was happening in their own battle, and Thomas relayed the information to Philip.

Days turned to weeks.

One afternoon, Philip sat at his desk, rubbing a thumb over the glass of the photo of Queen Irene and King Philip absentmindedly, when his computer chimed with an incoming video call. Frowning, he clicked on the tab and popped open the program.

"Hey," Tyler Navarro greeted him quietly. The Red Ranger looked at his friend. Philip was showing a bit of five o'clock shadow, and dark circles under his eyes. "You look like hell," Tyler said. The joke fell flat. "So…we just want you to know-" Here he turned the screen, panned around the room. Chase, Riley, Ivan, Koda, Shelby, Keeper, and Miss Morgan all gave him a wave. "-that we're sorry for that happened to you."

" We're all glad you're safe," Shelby told him, Riley nodding in agreement.

"I wish I could have been there, Sire," Ivan told him.

"Miss you," Koda said with a sad smile and a wave.

"If you need us, mate, we're just a flight or two away," Chase said.

Philip said nothing, until a figure walked into the picture behind Tyler. He squinted, leaning forward in his chair. "Tyler…" he began quietly, "is that…is that a giant _bird_?"

The Rangers laughed, and Philip couldn't help but smile back. It _was_ good to see them. Before Tyler could respond to his question, Philip's office door opened and Thomas poked his head in. "Tyler, I need to go but…thank you. _All_ of you. We'll talk soon." He closed the screen and motioned for Thomas to come in.

"Call from America?" Thomas asked.

Philip nodded. "They look well."

Thomas handed him a printout. Philip looked at it. "This is a flight confirmation," he noted, looking up at Thomas.

Thomas nodded. "Two seats. Pack your bags, Your Highness. We're going to Amber Beach."

Philip looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "Thomas, I don't know. With everything that's happened-"

"With everything that's happened, you deserve some time to process, away from things that remind you of it. Call it a holiday, if you like. And Martin's already approved it." His tone left no room for discussion.

Philip stared at him from his desk. Then, he said, "When is going to Amber Beach _ever_ a holiday?" he countered as he stood up. Thomas chuckled, slapping him on the back as the prince moved past him to leave the room.

_There he is. He's back._


	28. Chapter 28

He couldn't stop staring.

It wasn't the strangest thing he'd seen in his tenure as a Ranger. Far from it. But it was _hard_ not to stare at the newest member of their team, the six and a half foot tall, white, birdlike alien called Zenowing.

Ivan elbowed him, and Philip blinked, feeling his ears turn red as he realized he was doing it again. "I'm sorry," Philip whispered. "I just…he's the Silver Ranger?"

Ivan nodded.

"He pilots the TitanoZord."

Ivan nodded.

"He created our Zords."

Ivan nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. He clapped Philip on the back.

Philip let out a breath slowly. "Okay."

Keeper came into the room just then, giving him something else to give his attention to. Philip stood up with Ivan, and the two of them joined the rest of the team. Philip looked around the room. Tyler had his arm wrapped around his dad's shoulder. Philip allowed himself a small moment of triumph. It was good to see the two of them happy, and together. Koda came over to him and gave him a side hug that lifted him off his feet. Philip grinned and patted Koda on the shoulder. Chase was standing in the corner, his foot absentmindedly rolling his skateboard forward and back as he listened. Shelby stood next to…to Zenowing ( _stop staring)_ , a giant, egg-shaped rock between them, and Miss Morgan and Riley stood next to Keeper as the alien spoke.

"Welcome Rangers." The title sent a surge of pride through Philip. _How far we've come_ , he thought. _How far I've come…_ "Although we have all ten Energems, to unlock their full potential, we must first destroy the Dark Energem."

Philip looked at Ivan in confusion. "The what?" he asked.

"Has no one told you?" Ivan questioned. When the prince shook his head, Ivan explained in a whisper, "The Dark Energem was created in the same reaction that created our own. The person bonded to it becomes corrupted. You remember Heckyl?" Ivan asked, and Philip nodded. "Heckyl had the Dark Energem and created an alter ego-Snide."

Philip remembered the day he'd come back to Amber Beach to battle Ice Age. So Heckyl and Snide were one and the same!

"Thanks to James, we think we know how to do that," Kendall took over the briefing, nodding to James Navarro. Philip watched the Aqua Ranger nervously push up his sleeves as he continued, "I've discovered their base," he told the group. "Their spaceship crashed, but it wasn't destroyed. It's in a clearing about six miles from Samson Caves. We know the other side has the Dark Energem; there's a good possibility that's where it is."

"This is good news," Shelby said.

James shook his head. "It's not all good. Snide has a new partner." James looked at his son. " _Sledge."_

The name sent a chill down Philip's spine. He recalled the paralyzing, pricking fog….Tyler lying on the ground as Sledge took his Energem…Keeper's kidnapping…They thought Tyler had destroyed Sledge. Apparently, the alien bounty hunter had nine lives.

"Sledge _survived_?" Riley shook his head in disbelief.

"What's he been doing all this time?" wondered Tyler.

"So what do we do now?" Ivan asked.

"I say we hit them with everything we've got," Chase said seriously. "Every weapon, every special ability, every Zord." Koda and Ivan nodded their agreement.

"But we would have no way of knowing if we destroyed the Dark Energem for _sure_ ," Shelby pointed out.

"What do you suggest, Shelby?" Zenowing asked her.

The Pink Ranger bit her lip as all eyes turned to her. "I think….we sneak onto Sledge's ship. Take the Dark Energem. That way at least it's in our possession, not his."

"A surprise attack," Philip verified. She nodded. _Well, it's not the craziest plan I've been involved in. What's one more?_

Tyler was nodding. "We've been on the ship before," he said, pointing to himself and Kendall. "We know our way around."

Riley looked at her. "Seems like a logical plan," he agreed with her.

"Okay." Kendall was rubbing her hands together, pacing in front of the group. "No Zords. We'll go on foot, and infiltrate the ship."

* * *

It would have looked strange to anyone who happened to be in the woods outside Amber Beach that day as ten young adults and an alien crept their way through the trees. Koda led the charge, putting his hunting skills to good use. After what seemed like miles of walking, Koda stopped, holding up a fist. Philip froze.

There was a yell, and a large group of Vivix burst into their vision. "There goes our sneak attack!" Ivan stated the obvious, and exploded from his hiding place, sword at the ready. Philip kept behind him, hoping his rusty hand-to-hand skills would come to the forefront of his mind. He tag teamed with James Navarro, grabbing a Vivix by the arm, much like the day at Samson Caves, and throwing it at James, who put it down with a rain of punches. A Vivix grabbed him from behind. Philip stepped on it's foot , setting it off balance, and then drove an elbow into it. He turned around and kicked it in the chest, sending it flying.

He whipped around, looking for someone else to assist, just in time to see Kendall Morgan turn to stone in front of him! Philip staggered back, nearly running into James, blinking in disbelief. "What in the hell?" he gasped.

"What?" James demanded. A burst of white light rushed past them both, freezing Ivan in his tracks. The Aqua and Graphite rangers gaped, before taking cover behind some trees. "Where's it coming from?" James demanded, sticking his head out just enough to get a look at the field.

"I don't know!" Philip craned his neck around the tree in time to see the burst hit Riley, then Chase. Across the field, he saw Shelby knocked into some bushes by the Vivix. He grabbed James by the shirt. "Come on, Shelby's in trouble!" He yanked the other man out onto the field, started running.

The white light flashed again, hitting-

" _Tyler!"_ James screamed as his son was hit with the light, turning him into a rocky statue. James looked up the hill, saw the monster responsible. "I'll _kill_ you!" He started charging up the hill. Philip grabbed the hood of his sweater, pulled him back.

"No! James, we can't! There's too many Vivix, and there's still that _thing_ to deal with!" Philip's eyes widened as the Vivix turned, came after them. He pulled James across the field, running toward where he'd last seen Shelby-and collided with the Pink Ranger.

"Don't look at his amulet!" Shelby said breathlessly. "That's what turns you to stone!" She pushed them back the direction they came. "We've gotta hide!"

The Pink, Aqua and Graphite Rangers took off at a sprint, zig-zagging through the trees. Eventually, they ducked behind a boulder, breathing heavily. "Did we lose him?" James asked.

"I'm afraid to look," Philip breathed.

"You can't hide from me!"

"Guess not," James groaned. The three of them held their breath as the monster came closer.

"We're gonna have to run for it," Shelby whispered. Pulling her Dino Blaster out, Shelby covered her eyes and stuck her head around the rock, firing blindly into the forest, creating a fog of sparks and smoke. James pulled Philip to his feet and they prepared to run…but froze at the sight of someone else coming toward them. He didn't recognize the man, but Shelby did. "Heckyl?"

 _The man who tried to steal the Energems?_ Philip had heard his voice before but never seen him. Heckyl looked…well, as normal as anyone else. Well…minus the goggles. And except for the part where his hands were glowing blue and he was coming right at them.

 _We're sitting ducks_. Philip could only throw an arm over his head as blue lightning surged past the group, standing his hair on end.

 _Past_ us? Philip opened his eyes as the monster from earlier growled at Heckyl, smoke coming off its' body. "How _dare_ you attack me," it rumbled.

"I know what it's like to lose an entire world," Heckyl said, giving a quick sideways glance to Shelby. "It's time you paid for your crimes!" His hands flashed again, and blue lightning carved a jagged line toward the monster again, blasting him back several feet. When the smoke cleared, he was gone.

Heckyl turned to the three rangers…and then ran off into the forest.

James let out a his breath. "What was _that_ all about?" he asked.

Shelby swallowed. "I-I have no idea. But I think…that monster, and the Vivix, they're gone."

After what seemed like hours, the three of them cautiously returned to the scene of the battle. It was eerie. Philip stepped up to Koda and reached out a hand. His friend was cold, solid rock. "Oh, Koda," he whispered.

Shelby and James were in front of Tyler, both in tears. "This is all my fault," Shelby whispered hoarsely. James put a hand on her shoulder, the other clenched in a fist.

"Let's worry about who's to blame later," Philip said, his eyes frozen on Koda. "We need to get them out of here."

* * *

It took some doing but the three of them managed to haul the statues back in shifts aboard a museum truck. Every bump on the road and every vehicle on the road became a potential hazard, and Philip was sure he didn't breathe or move the entire drive. Once back at the museum, they used the freight elevator to get the statues down to the base. Up top, the museum was closed, so no prying eyes could see.

Philip gently set the Tyler statue on its feet and stepped carefully away. "Shelby, you said that thing had some sort of amulet that did this?"

Shelby traced circles on the computer console as she replied, "Yes. It would glow, and its eyes would glow, and then there was a bright flash and-"

"And then they turned to stone," James said, inspecting the Kendall statue. "If we destroy it, do you think they'll go back to normal?"

"How do we fight him without being turned ourselves?" Philip wondered. "The Megazords, perhaps? We'd be safe behind glass in the cockpits."

"It is good that the three of you are all right," a voice spoke up. Philip, James and Shelby looked up at the sound of Keeper's voice. "And Prince Philip, a good thought, but your friends' Zords will not work while they are stone," Keeper explained, walking slowly through the statues.

"And the PachyZord, AnkyloZord and TriceraZord…none of them have cockpits," James added. He pounded a fist into his hand as he looked at the rock that had been his son.

"Then it is clear what you must do," Keeper said. He held out the egg-shaped rock Philip had seen earlier. The inside of it sparkled in the base's lights. Keeper looked at Shelby. "Zenowing taught you how he created the Zords. Now…you must create one."

 _The giant bird taught Shelby how to make a MegaZord,_ Philip thought to himself. He mentally kicked himself. _That giant bird is one of you. You need to stop thinking like that._

"No, no no," Shelby was protesting. "Zenowing, he showed me like, the basics. And I only understood maybe _half_ of what he said." She looked down at her shoes. "Besides, you wouldn't want _my_ help. I'm the one who got us into this mess with my stupid plan."

Philip glanced at James, then, walked over to her. He crouched in front of her, and tilted her chin up so she was looking at him. "Shelby. Out of the three of us here, you are the only one with any dinosaur knowledge. If it wasn't for your emails, I wouldn't have known where to even _start_ looking for a Pachysaurus fossil. We need your expertise. This new Zord may be our only chance to save the others."

"And if I mess up again?" Shelby asked bitterly.

James joined them. "Shelby, everybody makes mistakes. I ran from my family instead of confiding in them. I tried to treat Tyler like an 8-year-old child instead of the grown man he'd become, and nearly lost him again."

"And I cannot count the number of mistakes I've made," Philip said. His mouth quirked upwards. "Though I'm sure it's well documented somewhere in the castle."

"The biggest mistake…would be not to try," Keeper added.

Philip nodded in agreement. "So Shelby….what do you say?"

His younger friend was quiet for a moment. Then, she stood up, looking back at the statues. Without warning, she threw her arms around Philip and James who both gasped in surprise. Then, she clasped her hands together. "First…we need a dinosaur." She wandered over to where Miss Morgan kept the DNA samples and smaller fossils from different species the museum's team had collected over the years. " _Lesothosaurus._ " She shook her head. "Nope. That one's the size of a housecat." Her fingers drifted over the specimen jars as Philip watched her with a smile. " _Hesperonychus._ Looks like a chicken crossed with a crocodile, no thank you."

James snickered.

Then, Shelby pulled a bottle from the shelf and held it aloft. " _Spinosaurus._ " Her tone turned serious. "Carnivore. 59 feet from nose to tail. 6 tons. 3-inch sharp teeth." She turned to the others. "It's perfect."

Philip backed out of the way as Shelby brushed by them, headed for the oval rock. He and James stood out of the way as she went to work. "A Zord is not just a machine," she was saying, as she added things into the geode. "It's _alive_." She looked up at James and Philip. "Zenowing taught me that."

"Go on," Philip said with a small smile, watching her work.

"To make a Zord…you need crystalline, fossilized, and metallic elements. Bone, for the body. Metal, for the armor. And crystals, for strength, and speed…" Shelby held up a sparkling quartz. "And Chargers," she grinned. Then, she turned around. "And a warrior's spirit, to make it come to life."

Shelby looked at Keeper. "Keeper, I can't imagine a warrior better than you to give life to this Zord. Would you…would you do the honors?"

The alien stepped forward and pointed his staff at the geode. "Of course. Thank you, Shelby." The tip of it glowed yellow, spreading over the geode like melted better. The geode sparkled.

Philip watched it for a moment or two. "Does…does that mean it's working?" he asked Shelby.

She shrugged. "I have no idea." Just then, the geode vanished. Shelby's eyes widened. "Where…where'd it _go_?"

Above them, the ground shook. And then there was roar. The three Rangers froze, looking at each other and Keeper. Without a word, the four of them raced upstairs and outside in time to see a _massive_ navy blue tail take off into the park.

"I'm guessing that was it?" James asked wryly. Then, the four of them were running after it.

"I'm sensing the Zord's spirit," Keeper said. Shelby held out the dark blue Dino Charger as if willing it to do something.

"Why is it going this way?" Philip wondered. He glanced around, trying to spot the giant navy SpinoZord amongst the trees. His eyes settled on something different. "This way." He led the group over to a small break in the trees. A small tent was pitched in the dirt and leaves, and a fire pit was still smoldering. "Someone's been here recently!" he called over to his friends.

Someone grabbed him from behind and twisted his arm behind his back. " _Someone_ is still here. Welcome to my humble home," Heckyl hissed in his ear.


	29. Chapter 29

Philip tried to pull away but Heckyl kept him in an iron grip.

"Get away from him!" Shelby barked.

"Oh, don't be so dramatic," Heckyl said, shoving Philip back toward his friends. He stumbled awkwardly into James. "It's Snide that's after you, not me."

"Two halves of the whole," James shot back.

"Not anymore," Heckyl countered. He shrugged. "Snide and I had….a parting of the ways."

"That's why you helped us?" Shelby asked him. "And…what did you mean when you said, 'I know what it's like to lose an entire world'?"

Heckyl moved back from the group to sit near the smoldering fire. "I can tell you're not going away any time soon." He looked up at them, gestured to the fire. "Are you sitting or not?"

The three rangers exchanged looks. Then, they made their way over to Heckyl, joining him on the ground. The villain said nothing for a few moments. "I wasn't saving you," he assured them. "I was trying to destroy Badussa. That _thing_ has destroyed galaxies. And I know a little something of that."

"You mentioned that," Philip muttered, rubbing his arm.

Heckyl eyed him. "My whole planet was destroyed by Lord Arcanon. I believe you know him," he said, nodding to Shelby. "And he did it just so he could possess the Dark Energem."

Keeper leaned forward. "You survived the destruction of Sentai-6?" he asked.

Heckyl nodded. "And everything I've done since then was to try to restore my planet."

"That's a roundabout way to do it," James pointed out.

Shelby saw Heckyl's hands glowing blue, a sign his patience with them was waning, and jumped in, "How would you do it?"

Heckyl opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted by a harsh voice. "It doesn't matter, because it's never going to happen!" The Rangers stood up as Badussa came striding forward. Heckyl was on his feet, hands raised, but before he could attack, Shelby, eyes closed, was taking off at a run toward the monster. She executed a perfect jump kick, sending Badussa whirling. The momentum caused his amulet to go flying, tumbling into the dirt.

Keeper took aim with his staff, shattering the amulet. " _Nooooo!"_ Badussa howled. The monster turned furiously to Shelby, eyes ablaze

"Shelby!" Philip called. He grabbed James by the hood and pulled the Aqua Ranger forward, standing protectively in front of their teammate, who got to her feet behind them. "Let's see how tough you are now," Shelby said. "It's morphin' time!" The yellow pistol appeared in their hands and they fired, their suits appearing in an instant. The Graphite, Aqua, and Pink Rangers charged forward. Philip went low as his teammates went high, staggering him backwards. "Shelby!" Keeper called. "Destroy the amulet!"

Philip and James held Badussa back as Shelby darted to the side where the amulet had fallen. Philip plowed a foot into Badussa and whipped around to see an explosion of pink and bright blue energy. _Heckyl_. "Yes!" he cheered. _Hopefully, that was enough to bring our friends back-_ Something hit him hard in the midsection and he went sprawling sideways, the momentum of the hit rolling him into a tree trunk. His back crashed against it _hard_.

"If you think I'm _Bad_ ussa _now_ ," Badussa snarled, "Wait 'til you see _this_!" He spread his arms and began to grow.

Philip pushed himself up on his elbow. "How do we fight _that_ without a MegaZord?" he gaped.

"Somehow, Philip, I don't think you'll have to," Keeper said with a grin, the tip of his staff glowing yellow.

The ground rumbled. Philip staggered to his feet as the ground moved beneath him. He looked over at Shelby and James, and the three of them gasped as a massive, navy blue dinosaur came crashing through the trees, straight for Badussa. The three Rangers and Keeper dove out of the way as the Spinozord came spinning past them, driving its large, bony sail into Badussa. "Great job, Shelby," James tossed her a thumbs up. "All right, let's form a MegaZord!" He pulled out his Charger, Philip following suit. "Summon Zords!"

The Ankylosaurus and the Pachysaur came rumbling into the clearing. Philip marveled at the sight of the lead-colored dinosaur that belonged to him. _That never gets old_. He turned to Shelby. "You're in charge," he said, then noticed she was staring back in the direction Heckyl had been camping. "Shelby? Are you with us?"

She started, looked back at the two men. "I-sorry. Activate Spino Charge Megazord, Ankylo-Pacha Formation!" Shelby commanded. Then, she was running, making for the MegaZord. The boys followed, finding themselves inside the cockpit. "Here he comes!" James yelled.

"I can slow him down. Pachy Wrecking Ball!" Philip intoned, remembering how this had gone against the Greenzilla, and making sure to control the hit this time. Badussa went flying off the end of the ball.

"My turn," James said, determination in his tone. "Ankylo Hammer!" The aqua hammer pounded Badussa, sparks flying.

"Gonna finish him off. Spino Boomerang Attack!" Shelby yelled. She looked at Keeper. "Would you like to do the honors?" she asked him. The alien nodded, and thrust his staff forward in a downward strike. The navy blue weapon flew forward, sending Badussa spinning and exploding in a shower of sparks and smoke. Badussa shrank back down to size, a charred mess eighty stories below them.

Shelby grinned at Keeper, who was standing next to her. "You're a natural!" she laughed. The alien gave her a short bow. She laughed, and then gasped. "Look!" She pointed out the cockpit window. Philip leaned forward to see seven familiar faces down below. _They're here!_

Shelby leapt from the MegaZord, James hot on her heels. The two of them made a beeline for Tyler as Philip landed on the ground, immediately enveloped by Koda and Ivan. "Are you all right, Sire?" Ivan asked him. He pointed at the MegaZord. "That is quite the sight!" he said appreciatively.

"Indeed," Philip agreed. "Shelby has quite the eye for detail," he grinned. "It's good to see you both," he added, giving Koda a side armed hug. Koda gripped him in a tight bear hug, lifting him off his feet.

"No time to celebrate," Tyler's voice broke through the celebrating. His dark eyes flashed as he pointed forward.

Badussa was on his feet. "You can't get rid of me _that_ easily, Rangers!" He spread his arms as a contingent of Vivix appeared behind him. "Celebrate _this_!"

Philip stepped up beside Ivan and Koda, in a defensive stance to protect the others as they morphed. James and Shelby also stood in front of the line. Philip looked back at Tyler, who led the call.

"Dino Chargers, _ready_!" He shoved the Red Dino Charger into his pistol and fired. Philip and the rest of the team followed suit. "Unleash the Power!" Philip felt the surge of residual energy burn off behind them as the Vivix advanced, and they ran to meet them. He could see bursts of fire, of purple energy off to his left as Chase used his pistol, the hotshot of the team like always. He watched Koda take down three Vivix at once by throwing one into another pair with his caveman strength, only amplified by his suit. Riley swung his sabre in a wide arc, sending several of the green-haired lackeys flying. Shelby gracefully leapt over a pack of them and drove her boots into them from behind, toppling them like bowling pins. Ivan used the wings on his suit to blast through another group, sending them sprawling off the edges. His feet moved without thinking, and Philip looked over to see James driving his fists into the ground, a surge of energy cracking the dirt and rock and knocking several Vivix off balance. Philip grinned and sprinted forward, knocking the off-kilter Vivix off their feet and to the ground. Behind him, he turned to see Kendall on the shoulders of one of the Vivix, using his momentum as he tried to throw her off to fire at his cohorts circled around them. Not to be outdone, Zenowing was using his swordsmanship, cleaving the rest in two.

Tyler solo'd on Badussa, using his enhanced power mode on the half-defeated alien. Shelby tossed him the Spino Dino Charger, and Koda added the Stegosaurus. Philip knocked a Vivix away and stomped on its' chest, watching their team leader, now with an elongated blade and the bony plates of a Stegosaurus as a shield. The enhancements made it a simple defeat. Philip cheered along with the rest of the team, finally able to celebrate uninterrupted.

That is, until the ground started to shake below them, and a dark shadow rose out of the trees. Philip braced himself against a rock, looking up into the sky. Behind his visor, his eyes widened. "It's-"

"Sledge's ship!" Tyler announced. "It can still _fly_?"

"Maybe he used the energy from the dark Energem?" Kendall offered.

"Are we…too late?" Koda asked.

Nobody had an answer for him. The whole reason for their sneak attack…70% of the team getting turned to stone, Shelby having to create a new Zord to fight back and rescue them…it was all for nothing.

Philip watched the ship disappear into the clouds. _Sledge has the Dark Energem. We've failed._

* * *

The team reconvened back at the museum, in a much more sober mood. Philip leaned against the wall by the charging station, watching the Graphite Energem sparkle in the artificial light. He looked around at his team.. Nobody was talking much. Everyone's minds were on the Dark Energem, and the destruction it could wreak in Sledge's hands.

"This is no time to give up," Keeper tried to rally the group. "Now, more than ever, you must stick together."

Still, no one said anything. Philip toed the concrete floor with his foot. He thought of Thomas and Nick, thought of Marg-

"Sledge has been trying to get the Energems for 65 million years," Kendall broke the silence, interrupting Philip's thoughts at exactly the right moment. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked around, motioning for the team to gather around the computer consoles. "Where's he going with the Dark Energem?"

"And what's he been doing since his ship crashed?" Philip wondered.

"Heckyl warned me," Shelby spoke up quietly. The group turned to her. "Back in the forest. Before the Spinosaurus came. He said…" She paused. Tyler squeezed her hand reassuringly, and she swallowed and continued. "He said we should get off the _planet_."

"Okay, but just because he helped us once doesn't mean we should trust everything he says," Chase countered.

"Perhaps," Ivan agreed. "But he may know something that we don't." The knight of Zandar leaned forward, resting his hands on the console. "What if Sledge's plan is so devastating, so _huge_ …that the only safe place is-" He pointed at the ceiling.

Philip's eyes unconsciously lifted skyward. _Oh, no._


	30. Chapter 30

Philip sat on the back porch and closed his eyes.

The sound of the ocean mixed in with chirping insects and the wind rustling the leaves on the trees surrounding the property. _The calm_ , he thought, _before the storm_. It was the first moment he'd had to himself since returning to Amber Beach. He'd thought that maybe after everything in Zandar that a return to Amber Beach would have been more…fun. Instead, he'd immediately been thrown into the whole Badussa and Dark Energem debacle.

 _How much longer can I do this_? he wondered. _One brush with my mortality in the past month is plenty_ , he thought, and then shook his head, opening his eyes with a chuckle. "Perhaps this is just my life now," he said aloud, stretching.

"The people of Zandar may wonder if you return talking to yourself," Nick de Latour pointed out as he came around the side of the house. Even though the threat to Philip's life (well, the royal one, at least) had been neutralized, it hadn't stopped Nick from continuing his perimeter checks. "Penny for your thoughts, Your Highness?"

Philip blinked and glanced back at Nick. "No. Letting them fly on the wind," he replied with a smile. "All is well, I trust?"

Nick nodded. "Nothing unusual." He tossed a thumb down at Amber Beach below the bluff. "At least, not up here."

The words had barely left his mouth when there was a burst of green light at the edge of the property. Philip bolted up from his chair, running down the steps and into the yard, Nick hot on his heels, gun drawn. In the trees of the park just beyond the property line, Philip could make out the green heads of several Vivix disappearing into the trees.

Philip's mind raced. _What are they doing here? How can I investigate with Nick right beside me? There's no way he's leaving me alone now._ He could call Tyler and the others. But with everything going on…Heckyl's warning to Shelby echoed in his ears. _Get off this planet, while you can_.

He sighed, and looked back at Nick. "Your job is to protect the crown," he told Nick. "And I cannot tell you to stay here because I know you won't. But...I'm going after those things."

" _You_ are-?" Nick's jaw dropped in disbelief. "But-Your Highness, why not alert someone…those Rangers we've heard about?"

Philip's response was to pull the Graphite Energem out of his pants pocket, and hold it in front of Nick's eyes. "Because I _am_ one of those Rangers," he responded.

Nick's eyes widened at the molten lead-colored gem. Philip could see his mind putting the pieces together. All those times Philip had disappeared…the monster attacks…the secrecy… Nick wasn't an idiot. "I need your help right now, Nick. I can't track them on my own, can't take on all of them on my own. Those things are what have been attacking the city, the foot soldiers for a bigger threat. I can call the others and have them meet us, but they might not get here in time."

Philip looked at Nick in earnest. "Which leaves me...and you. And you need to make a decision, _fast."_

Philip waited. He could see the gears turning in Nick's mind. Then, Nick fumbled for an extra clip, slamming it into place in his pistol. Then, he turned to Philip. "Stay behind me," Nick said finally.

The two of them pushed the barbed wire aside and ducked into the trees. Nick listened for the Vivix, and put them on a path to intercept. Philip stayed behind him, letting the former Zandarian military member do his job. The strange hissing and growling sounds the Vivix made were getting louder. Nick held up a fist, and Philip nearly ran into him. The two of them ducked behind a large tree. Philip dared to stick his head around the corner.

There were seven or eight of the Vivix, a hundred feet or so away. They were all crowded around a ring of rocks that someone may have used as a campfire ring at one point. But inside the ring, instead of firewood…Philip slid back around the tree. "An egg. It's an egg."

"Somehow I don't think you mean a regular chicken egg," Nick said.

Philip shook his head. "It's large…the size of a small child," he said. "It's also….it's green." His mind raced. _What on earth…_ Pulling out his phone, he shot a quick text to Tyler, telling them where they were and what was happening. Then, he tossed it to Nick and stood up quietly, his Energem and one Graphite charger in his palm. "If this number calls back, tell them to hurry," Philip said. Then, he came around the tree.

"It's a bit late in the day for scrambled eggs," he called out, getting the Vivix attention. They turned to see him across the clearing. "Care to tell me what's going on?" he asked.

Their response was to come charging at him. Philip didn't waste time, pressing the Graphite Charger and morphing quickly, then meeting them halfway. He swung a smaller version of the Pachysaur wrecking ball, knocking two of them aside and into the trees. Another came at him and he used it to sweep the legs out from under one, then kicked him solidly in the chest, sending it staggering. Two more came at him and Philip let loose with a series of punches that would've made Thomas proud. But the rest had decided not to fact him one-on-one, and came at him. Philip backed away but found himself backed against a tree. He moved his head aside just as a Vivix threw a punch at him, hitting the tree instead. Two grabbed his arms and held him in place.

A shot rang out and a Vivix dropped. It startled the ones holding Philip, and he swung his arms together, knocking the two of them into each other. He drove an elbow into the face of one and his knee into the stomach of the other.

Another shot. Philip saw Nick come out from their hiding place, his gun steady in his hand as he took aim. Philip drove the tip of his boot into the face of one on the ground and stomped _hard_ on the back of another.

He looked up, breathing heavily. Nick swept the area before nodding to him. Philip took off his helmet. "Are you all right, Nick?" he asked.

Nick nodded. "Considering I'm not even sure what the hell those were or what just happened," he said, glancing around at the fallen alien soldiers. Then, he took a longer look at Philip. "How about you?"

Philip grinned. "The suit takes most of it," he said. "I'm sorry we had to keep this a secret from you, Nick," he told him honestly.

Nick waited a moment before he said, "So…it really _wasn't_ an American girlfriend you were coming over here to meet, was it. It was all….all of _this_."

"I was chosen," Philip said simply, recalling that day. "In a way," he added, turning to see Tyler, Shelby and Riley coming out of the trees at a run, "it's no different than being Prince of Zandar," he said. "I'm just…protecting a larger kingdom."

"Philip, you okay?" Tyler asked, skidding to a stop in the pine needles and dirt.

"Fine," Philip replied. He turned to Nick. "Nick, these are my friends…and fellow Rangers. Tyler, Shelby, and Riley." He looked at Tyler apologetically. "I'm afraid Nick knowing our identity was a necessity," he said.

"We trust your judgement," Shelby said. She offered a hand to Nick. "Nice to meet you."

Nick shook it as Philip led Tyler and Riley over to the green egg. "This is what they had with them," Philip said. "Eight of them brought this into the park."

"What is it?" Riley wondered, reaching a hand out toward it. The Green Ranger frowned. "It's warm. And look, this indentation?" He ran a hand over a crack in the egg. "I think…whatever is in this egg…it's going to hatch soon."

"We should get it back to Miss Morgan," Shelby suggested.

As Tyler and Riley lifted the egg to take it back to the museum, Philip turned to Nick. "I'm afraid this is where I leave you," he said. "Head back to the house, let Thomas know what's going on." He smiled. "I'm in good hands, I promise. And there may come a time soon when I'll need your help again. Thank you, Nick."

Nick watched as Philip jogged after his friends, his suit disappearing in a burst of gray light. He shook his head, looking at the alien bodies scattered around him. "I think I'd rather have royal assassins than all….all this," he said finally, and ran to go tell Thomas what was going on.

* * *

"So….what is it?" James Navarro rested his head on his arms on the console, studying the green, pulsating egg. Philip, Zenowing and Ivan crowded around Kendall Morgan as she ran a scanner over it, taking measurements.

"It's definitely…whatever is in it is _alive_ , but there's nothing on Earth that has an egg like this," Miss Morgan responded as she studied the readout.

"Sledge obviously wanted it protected, or there wouldn't have been eight Vivix in the woods with it," Philip noted. He turned to Zenowing. "Have you….ever seen anything like this?"

Zenowing shook his feathered head. "In all my travels across the galaxy…no. Many things green, many things egg….but nothing like this."

"We may have a theory on that," Riley's voice broke into the conversation, and Philip and the others looked up to see Riley, Tyler, Shelby, Koda, and Chase come running into the room from the basement door.

"What do you mean?" James asked.

"Well, we were delivering a hot fudge sundae to Heckyl, upstairs," Chase started, "and he told us that _thing_ is a Greenzilla egg."

Philip's shoulder twinged unconsciously as he thought about the last time they'd faced one of the green, tentacled, Megazord-sized monsters.

"Heckyl say there are five eggs," Koda added. "All over the world."

" _Five_ of them?" Miss Morgan frowned. "We had a difficult time with just the one!"

"We tried to convince Heckyl that he needs to help us," Shelby said. "But he wouldn't do it."

"What are we going to do?" Shelby asked. "We need a plan-"

Alarms blared. "And fast," Miss Morgan finished Shelby's sentence. "The first one's hatching! Just off the coast of Japan."

"There's another one!" James informed them, pointing at the holoscreen. "Hawaiian Islands."

"Manhattan," Tyler noted, as a third dot joined the others.

A fourth dot appeared on the screen, and Philip paled. He took a step closer to the world map, making sure his geography was correct. But of course, it was. How could he not recognize the location. His heart leapt into his throat.

"Zandar," he whispered.

* * *

A second sound joined the alarms. A crackling sound, like breaking glass. Ivan, closest to the egg, was staring at it in horror. "It would appear we're next!" he cried. Koda pushed him out of the way as the egg glowed brighter. Chase pulled out his pistol and fired at it at point blank range. Tyler and Shelby joined in, pumping as many shots as they could into the pulsating egg.

The egg exploded. Bits of shell and green guck drenched the room. Philip's jacket was coated in bits of egg shell, but his eyes remained firmly fixed on the screen. _Zandar is in danger._ He thought of Martin, the rest of the castle staff. The children's hospital. Even Annabeth, and Margaret. "I have to go. _We_ have to go…I-"

"Philip, _breathe_ ," Shelby suggested, placing a hand on his arm.

"It's going to be okay," Tyler assured him, a determined look on the Red Ranger's face. Philip swallowed and brought himself back to the present.

"There may be five Greenzillas," Chase said. "But we know something Sledge doesn't…we've got five Megazords!"

"We can take them all on, same time," Koda said.

"I'll monitor the battles from here with Keeper," Miss Morgan said. "The rest of you will split up. Around the globe. Ivan, Riley and Chase, with the Pterazord. Prince Philip and James with the Plesiozord. Zenowing, with the Titanozord. Tyler in the Spinozord and Shelby and Koda-"

"We've got it. Let's go!" Part of Philip felt bad for interrupting, but his mind was halfway around the world. He took off at a sprint, James Navarro on his heels. The two of them ran out of the building, summoning the Plesiozord as they ran.

* * *

"Don't worry," James said, as the Zord sped toward Europe, "we're going to get there in time."

"We have to." Philip's mind was racing. _I can't even have them evacuate, because I don't know where they would go!_ To have so many people on the ground, underneath the feet of the Greenzilla and the Plesiozord…it was a massacre waiting to happen. _My country has been through so much already_ , he thought. _We cannot deal with more tragedy._

James put a gloved hand on his shoulder. "We're going to save them, Philip. We're going to stop this."

"My people are in danger, and their prince isn't even there," Philip said, his eyes never leaving the cockpit window as the world sped past.

"No," James agreed, and Philip glanced sideways at him. James couldn't see his expression, but that was okay, as he was pretty sure he wouldn't like the look he was giving him. "No," James repeated. "But their prince is on his way."

It was a good sentiment. But it wasn't making Philip feel any better.


	31. Chapter 31

Martin saw it. He wasn't believing it, but he saw it.

When one of his subordinates had come running into his office, mumbling incoherently about a monster in the sky, his first thought was the kid was drunk.

Now, as he shielded his eyes and looked above the north tower of the castle…he was beginning to wonder if there had been some kind of chemical attack that was making them all hallucinate.

Eighty stories in the air, the Greenzilla let out a roar, its giant tail slicing through the air, narrowly missing a news helicopter that had been foolish enough to fly that evening.

Martin snapped his fingers at the young man who was temporarily in Margaret's position and yelled, "Call the news. Get that thing _out_ of the air!" He gave the boy a slight push back toward the open door of the castle.

This wasn't covered in the castle's standard operating procedures. Martin had no idea what to do. The tail swung again, knocking some of the brickwork off the north tower. Martin dove out of the way, his old leg injury flaring up from the impact.

"Get everyone to the bomb shelters," he barked into his collar. It seemed the best course for the moment, to get them out of the buildings and below ground. Being a central European country, Zandar had largely kept to itself during World War II, but the country's architects and engineers had constructed many bomb shelters around the cities, just in case. Martin remained on the lawn. His phone buzzed in his pocket, the number of a high-ranking army official wanting to know what Philip, technically the country's commander in chief, wanted the military to do.

There was just one problem with that: Philip wasn't even _in_ the country.

Martin pressed the TALK button on the phone, beset by an angry general before he could even say hello. "I don't _know_ what to do," he barked back. "We've initiated evacuation protocols, but there's nothing in the Constitution and bylaws about what to do if a giant _lizard_ is attacking Zandar!" he yelled.

In the air, Martin heard a low roar. Like the sound of fighter jets in formation. "General, do you have aircraft in the vicinity?" he demanded. At the confused 'no' on the other end of the line, Martin's eyes trailed upwards to see something else, a _massive_ something else, in the darkening sky. The purple-and-white machine resembled a jet in some respects, pointed nose, white wings on either side, but Martin had spent enough time around the military to know that jets didn't often come with a wide open _jaw_ and _teeth_ …and were those glowing yellow things on the sides of it _eyes_?

White-hot laser fire exploded from the purple machine, pounding the green lizard, sending it staggering. Martin watched as the lizard's tentacles ( _since when did lizards have those….since when were lizards eighty stories tall?!)_ lashed out at it, but the purple jet pulled up and out of the way. It fired again, a blazing hit of white light from under the jaw-looking part, knocking the green lizard back. It's arm nicked the north tower of the castle and Martin decided that it was probably time to get inside.

His phone rang again, and Martin swore in multiple languages as he answered. "I don't know a goddamned thing, General, and I'm a little busy-"

" _Evacuate all citizens to the bomb shelters,"_ a voice commanded him, and Martin nearly dropped his phone.

" _Philip_?!"

Aboard the PlesioZord, Philip kept one hand on the controls as he spoke to his chief of security. "It's a long story, Martin, but yes. Have you issued evacuation orders?"

Martin's voice still held a hint of surprise. _"I-yes, Your Highness. The military is standing by, awaiting orders."_

"Keep them out of the air," Philip commanded. "Tank battalions only. And for God's sake tell them to watch where this thing is walking. We will provide air support."

" _We_?" Martin raised his eye to the sky. "Philip…are….is that… _you?"_

" _Like I said…it's a long story_ ," Philip's voice replied. " _Tell the general to get those tanks here as fast as he can. We'll hold him off until he gets here_." The lizard's tentacles lashed out again, catching one wing of the purple machine and sending it rocking. " _I'm afraid I've got to go, Martin. Stay safe!"_

The line went dead and Martin stared up at the battle in the sky, dumbfounded.

 _Do your job, Martin. Your prince gave you a command._ He blinked, then, he was on the phone to the general.

* * *

"Plesio Blast!" James commanded, firing at the Greenzilla _again_. "All this laser is doing is making him mad," James noted, pulling the PlesioZord out of reach of the tentacles again. "We need backup!" he informed Miss Morgan.

Philip watched the cockpit window. _Where are those damned tanks_?

" _As luck would have it, backup's on the way!"_ the Purple Ranger told the two of them. Philip was pretty sure she didn't mean the Zandarian military.

Something slammed into the Greenzilla, a flash of lead and black. Philip's eyes widened, and his mood instantly improved. "It's the PachyZord!" he realized, pressing the commands to fuse it with the PlesioZord.

James glanced at him. "You're in a good mood," he deadpanned.

Philip clenched a fist. "PachyZord Wrecking Ball!" he ordered, swinging the mace-like weapon out at the Greenzilla, nailing it in the side of its jaw. The Greenzilla howled, and then, to Philip's surprise, turned its' attention to something below them. Philip leaned forward. Eighty stories below them in the streets, he saw flashes of light and smaller explosions at the giant lizard's feet. He pounded the console with a fist. "Backup has arrived!" he announced. He turned to look at James. "Let's finish this once and for all."

James leaned back, amused. "It's your show, Your Highness," he grinned.

Philip thrust out a hand. "Plesio Blast!" The white-hot laser fire was back, and between that and the constant barrage at the Greenzilla's lower half, he prayed that would be enough to destroy it.

Next to him, James tensed, his toes curling into his boots. "Come on," he whispered. "Come _on_!"

The Greenzilla swung its tentacles trying to trap the PlesioZord, but James always kept it just out of reach. It sidestepped in a strange dance, trying to avoid the tanks below it. And all the while, Philip never let up on the laser cannon, his fingers reaching forward as if he were going to strangle the Greenzilla with his bare hands. _This has to end here. If it doesn't…there won't be a Zandar left to rule._

"Philip, I don't-"

Philip gritted his teeth. "This _has_ to work," he ground out.

"Our chargers are dying, Philip, we've put too much into this already!" James countered. "Too much more and we'll dimorph and the Megazord will lose what little power it's got left!"

"We're almost there!" Philip protested.

The Greenzilla whirled to face them, kicking a tank out of the way, and charged directly at the PlesioZord, hissing. There was a burst of white light, a flash of smoke and flame. Philip threw an arm over his visor to shield his eyes. When he put it down again…the skies were clear.

The Greenzilla was gone.

Philip swore in French, and pounded his fist into his hand triumphantly. "Yes!" he exulted. "We did it!"

"Monster extinct," James informed Miss Morgan on the other side of the world. "With a little extra help." He rolled the PlesioZord in a wave at the ground troops below. As it righted itself, Philip called Martin once more.

" _Philip, are you all right? There was an explosion-"_

"I'm fine, Martin." Philip grinned breathlessly. "Please give the general our thanks. I've got a few more things to take care of. Thomas and Mr. de Latour and I should be back within the week."

" _Stay safe_ ," Martin told him, and there was a little extra meaning in the sentiment.

Philip gave him a two-fingered salute, knowing Martin had no way of knowing. "Take care of Zandar while I'm gone," he replied. He hung up and turned to James. "Let's go see if we can assist the others."

James grinned. "Yes, sir."

Philip radioed back to the base, half a world away. "Miss Morgan, where can we help?"

He waited. No response. He frowned, looking at James. "Miss Morgan? Kendall?" he tried again. The answer was only static.

He looked at James. "That cannot be a good sign."

"Change in plans," James agreed, turning the PlesioZord west. Tyler was the first to break radio silence, informing them that Zenowing had taken care of the final Greenzilla, and that everyone was headed back to Amber Beach.

"Just in time," James told his son. "We can't reach Miss Morgan on the comms."

" _What?_ " Tyler replied worriedly. " _Okay, we're all going to meet you guys there. Keep trying."_ He cut the line.

* * *

There was a long stretch of silence. James was pushing the Zord as fast as he could. Daylight started peeking its way into the cockpit window.

The radio crackled to life, and Philip nearly collapsed when he heard the voice on the other end. " _Rangers! Snide attacked the base. He's got the Dark Energem. Heckyl and I are moving to intercept. Get back here as fast as you can!"_

"She's all right!" Philip breathed a sigh of relief. Then he frowned. "Wait…she and _Heckyl_ are after Snide? But-"

"Maybe he decided he didn't want to see another planet destroyed," James offered. "Making up for everything he did as Snide?"

"I'll be very curious to know his motives," Philip noted. "We're nearly there."

The moment they were over Amber Beach, James put the zord in a holding pattern and he and Philip leapt to the ground, making their way toward the sounds of a fight. Philip skidded to a stop in time to see Miss Morgan get blasted by Snide into a car in the parking lot. He took off at a sprint, jumping in front of her and Heckyl, who was grimacing on the ground in pain. Shelby, already morphed and standing defensively, told them, "Be careful, Snide has the Dark Energem."

"We've got six," Philip countered, nodding to himself, James, and Shelby, and Kendall, Koda, and Zenowing, who had just joined them.

"That's not enough power to destroy this!" Snide growled at them, brandishing the Dark Energem like he was daring them to attack.

The ground rumbled, and a shadow fell over the group. Philip craned his neck skyward to see a massive Zord standing over the museum. Tyler's voice rang out, "It's over Snide! We're taking the Dark Energem!"

"No, you're not," Snide countered, not sounding the least bit intimidated. "You're in for a _big_ surprise!"

Philip tensed, his heart pounding. "Magna Beam!" he heard Snide call out.

Nothing happened. "Sledge! Fire the Magna Beam!" he yelled at the sky. Whatever he was waiting for didn't happen.

"Looks like Sledge and Snide had a falling out," James muttered to Philip.

"What a shame," Philip said sarcastically. "What's that saying, the enemy of my enemy-"

"Is definitely _not_ your friend." Heckyl stepped forward, clutching his side. He looked at Snide. "It's because of me you're in this world," he told the metal alien. His eyes narrowed. "And I couldn't be happier to help you _leave_ it!"

"Together!" Tyler called from the MegaZord cockpit. "Let's fry the Dark Energem-and Snide with it!"

Philip stepped up next to Heckyl, his blaster at the ready. Heckyl's palms were glowing a bright aqua blue. Down the line, the other rangers stood in a firing stance, awaiting Tyler's order. "Last chance, Snide," Heckyl warned him.

Snide refused to back down. "I never give up!"

"Neither do we," Tyler's voice echoed. "Titano Cannon! Final Strike!" A barrage of flame and laser erupted from the MegaZord as Philip and the others on the ground opened fire at the same time, everything in their arsenal directly aimed at Snide and the Dark Energem.

When the smoke cleared, there was nothing left of Snide. Nothing except-

"No way." Shelby swore, and that in itself shocked Philip enough to make him demorph and come running. Shelby was crouched down on the ground, her eyes fixed on something in the cracked pavement.

Tyler bent down to pick it out of the blackened cement. "Don't touch it!" Kendall warned, and Tyler jerked his hand back.

"It's not even scratched," he whispered.

"If that blast didn't destroy it," Chase gaped, "then what _will?_ "

"I think I know," Heckyl spoke up from the fringes of the group. The ten Rangers turned to him. "Better late than never, I suppose," he said dryly. "I know you don't trust me. I wouldn't either…after everything. Good intentions or not. But I want to help, now. If you'll let me. I feel…I think I should make amends. Or at least….try."

Tyler raised an eyebrow. "Like you said," he told Heckyl, "Snide was _in_ this world because of you."

"Tyler, he helped run Snide off when he attacked us," Kendall cut in. "I think...I think we can trust him."

"Tyler," James spoke up, looking at his son. "I believe him. I know a little something about wanting to make up for past actions."

"As do I," Philip added. "Sometimes you can spend your whole life trying to make up for your past. It will not change what you've done. However," he glanced at Koda and Ivan with a grim smile, "it can be a start to a better future."

Tyler looked at the three of them, considered it. He looked at Shelby, who gave him a small nod. Then, he offered a hand to Heckyl. "Let's finish this. _Together_."

Heckyl reached for his hand. As they shook, Philip heard the tone of their communicators. Miss Morgan looked at her screen, her eyes widening. "The base. _Fury_. We have to go!"


	32. Chapter 32

Ten Rangers and Heckyl stopped dead in their tracks at the wall of Vivix standing between them and the front door. "Holy crap," Chase said. "New security team?" he asked Kendall.

The museum director shook her head. "Definitely not. We've got to get through them and fast. Keeper's alone with Fury-and all of our extra Dino Chargers."

"And we're going to need all the power we can get," Shelby noted. Impulsively, Philip watched her rush forward and jump on the back of a Vivix, knocking it to the ground. The rest of the team followed suit, hurrying to clear a path to the museum doors. Philip found himself next to Koda in the fight, much as he had all those months ago, the first time they had ever faced Fury. Philip put one of the green-haired aliens in an arm lock, freeing up Koda.

"Get to the base!" Ivan yelled from his position.

Koda looked at Philip. "Go, I've got this one!" Philip told him. Koda took off, leapfrogging over a Vivix and following Tyler to the front doors. Philip kicked up, his knee meeting the face of the Vivix he was holding, and turned to find another. Around the front lawn, he spotted the others taking care of the rest. "That's it, let's move!" he heard Riley yell.

The team rushed the front doors, and Philip grabbed Ivan by the back of the jacket to stop him from falling into a massive hole in the floor by the T-Rex skeleton, amazingly, still in one piece. "Thank you, Sire," Ivan breathed. Below them, sparks flew and breaking glass sounds filled the air. "Come on you two!" Riley yelled. Philip clapped Ivan on the back and followed the knight down the service entrance to the base. Kendall and Shelby were clearing the doors, and Tyler and Koda stood right behind them, blasters at the ready.

The doors burst open and Tyler and Koda both jumped over the girls and fired, knocking Fury back against the wall. Keeper was on the ground, grimacing in pain, his staff a few feet away.

"It's over, Fury!" Tyler yelled.

"The Dark Energem will be _mine_!" Fury howled back. "And I'm going to destroy you all!"

Philip aimed his blaster and fired a shot into the lion's shoulder. "You may want to rethink that promise," he told him. He could see it in Fury's eyes that he knew he was outnumbered.

"I'll be back!" Fury growled, and disappeared in a flash of light. When the light dissipated, the lion was gone, leaving just the rubble and destruction behind.

* * *

"Where did he go?" Koda wondered, looking around as he and Tyler helped Keeper to his feet.

Philip looked over to see Chase, skateboard under his arm, headed out the door. "I'll do a quick sweep upstairs, see if he's hanging around up there," the Black Ranger called over his shoulder.

"I cannot sense him anywhere," Keeper breathed, leaning heavily on Tyler. The Red Ranger helped the alien over to a console that was still mostly in one piece and slipped out from under his arm, letting Keeper rest against it. The alien closed his eyes, and for a moment, Philip thought they'd been too late; that they'd lost the one responsible for all of this.

"He's fine," Heckyl noted, seeing Philip's pensive look. He nodded to Keeper's staff. The tip was glowing bright yellow. "That wouldn't happen if he was gone."

"What do we do with _this_?" Shelby questioned, holding the Dark Energem, now safely inside a specimen jar, up to the red emergency lights. Between the lighting and the deep blue-black glow of the gem, the Dark Energem seemed even more ominous.

"Throw it in a volcano?" James suggested tiredly. "Into the sun?"

"If the Dark Energem was created from the leftover dark matter when the universe was created," Riley spoke up, "throwing it into the sun would be a really bad idea. The reaction could wreck the solar system."

James frowned. "Fair point." He turned to Tyler. "If we don't destroy it, Fury and Sledge will hunt us no matter where we go."

"I'm not hiding from them," Tyler said adamantly, crossing his arms over his chest. "They want it, they can come get it."

"Maybe not right this second," Kendall offered. She waved a hand around the base. "We're not exactly ready for another round with either of them."

"And they know where to find us. We aren't safe here," Zenowing reminded the group. He looked at Tyler. "A strategic retreat is not the same as hiding."

Philip glanced at his phone, which had been buzzing impatiently in his pocket ever since he'd returned from Zandar. He thumbed the lock screen, looked at the messages.

 _Nick knows?!_ The text was from Thomas, sent much earlier that day. Philip pinched the bridge of his nose as he shot back a reply.

_So does Martin._

The reply was almost instantaneous. _So much for your 'secret' identity, huh._

Philip rolled his eyes and tucked his phone away, shrugging off his suit jacket, tossing it over a pile of cement and rebar. "We need a plan," Ivan was saying.

"We need to destroy the Dark Energem," Shelby countered.

"That part of plan," Koda assured her.

 _What is happening right now_? Philip surveyed the room. Tyler, Kendall and Zenowing were arguing over whether to stay or go. Ivan and Koda were trying to explain to Shelby that the more pressing matter was finding Fury, not the Dark Energem. Chase hadn't returned from his patrol of upstairs. Riley and James were in a deep conversation over the physics of destroying the gem.

 _We're falling apart_. Philip perched on a pile of rubble, trying to decide which conversation to jump in on. Part of him felt very strongly that he needed to get home to Zandar. The other part knew he should stay and see this through to the destruction of Sledge, Fury, Snide, and the rest.

It was Keeper who broke up all the talk. "Fury and Sledge are no longer in this time," he announced.

Philip's head jerked up and he looked over at the alien. "Did I hear you right?" he blinked, frowning. "Did you say...no longer in this _time_?"

"They're not on the planet?" Tyler asked.

Keeper shook his head. "You misunderstand. They are still on this planet…however…they are no longer in the _present_."

"So then…" Riley frowned, his mind racing. "Where…no… _when_ are they?"

"Sixty-five million years ago," Keeper responded.

"They traveled back to the _dinosaurs_?" James looked at Kendall for clarification. "Why?"

"It's simple," Kendall said. She bit her lip. "If they can get the Energems before Keeper has a chance to give them to the dinosaurs…"

Ivan pulled out his gem. The Gold Energem glinted in the light. "We will no longer have our powers."

"Which means there's no _way_ we can defeat Fury and Sledge, because we'll never become Rangers," Shelby breathed.

"What will we do?" Koda asked the question on everyone's mind.

"You get there first," Keeper told him. The alien gestured to the Gold Energem in Ivan's hand.

"Of course!" Ivan nodded in agreement. Then, he looked at Kendall. "I don't understand," he admitted.

But Kendall had it figured out. "Our Energems. When they bonded to us, we stopped aging." She nodded to Ivan, to Koda. "You two know that better than any one of us."

"So they….what, we can _time_ travel?" Riley asked in disbelief.

"Not alone. But all of you together," Keeper said. "There should be enough energy from all ten Energems to travel back. Defeat Sledge and Fury."

"This sounds too good to be true," James noted, and Philip nodded in agreement.

"So…." Tyler was pacing. "We travel back. We make sure Keeper gives the Energems to the dinosaurs. Maybe beat Sledge and Fury in the process."

"What about the Dark Energem?" James asked. "We'd be putting it back in proximity of the bad guys, again," he reminded them.

"We'll have to make sure we don't lose it," Tyler said. He looked at his father. "We'll have to keep it from falling into their hands."

"I'll take care of it," Heckyl spoke up quietly. The group turned to look at him. "I think I can resist it. At least, I know, if it takes me over, you'll be able to destroy me easier."

"No way," Shelby objected. "We can't ask you to do that."

"Uh, yeah, we can," Chase argued. "At least it's not one of us who might turn evil and go postal that way. And what if Snide gets ahold of you? The two of you could fuse again."

Heckyl smirked. "Not likely," he scoffed. "Snide hates me almost as much as you do."

"As much as I hate to admit it," Tyler said. "I think Heckyl's right. He's our best chance to keep the Dark Energem out of Sledge's hands."

"There's like, a thousand ways this could go wrong," Riley objected. "Time travel…there's nothing logical about time travel."

Heckyl rolled his eyes. "You stopped aging because of a gemstone and defeated a giant lizard this afternoon," he said dryly. "There's nothing logical about any of this." The Green Ranger opened his mouth to protest, then shook his head.

"Hey, if anybody else has a better plan, I'm all for it," Tyler told them. "But this seems like our best shot."

"What's our best shot?" Chase came skating back into the room, popping his board into his arms.

"Time traveling back to the time of the dinosaurs to stop Sledge and Fury from getting our Energems," Tyler told him.

Chase glanced around the room, slowly. He blinked once. "I…travel when and _where_ now?"

The whole group stared at him. He looked at them in confusion. Then, everyone burst out laughing. Philip found himself laughing along, whether it was from the absurdity of the situation or Chase's horrible timing, he wasn't sure, but it was a much-needed moment of brevity.

Tyler turned to Keeper. "Okay, Keeper. How do we do this?"

Keeper gestured for the group to gather around him in a half circle. "I will need your Energems," the alien told them.

Philip hesitated. "But…how will we-"

"We won't be able to morph," Kendall told him. "Where… _when_ …we're going, we won't have bonded to our Energems yet."

"I will need their powers to open the portal," Keeper told him. Philip looked around, saw the others slowly removing their gems from pockets, from strings around their necks. He reached into his own pocket and pulled out the Graphite Energem. He twirled it in his fingers, feeling the warm stone pulsing under his fingertips. _This stone has been my protection for so long…_ It would feel strange not to have it anymore. Yet, he knew there wasn't another choice. Philip offered his hand, palm up, to Keeper, who took the stone from him. Philip's hand felt cold. It didn't feel right, not having the gem on his person. He took a step back as Keeper let the gems float upwards from his hand, positioning themselves into a circle, a gateway. The gems lit up, their respective colors bouncing off the walls, giving the room almost a funhouse glow. Then, as Philip watched, a swirl of blue and purple filled the center of the circle, widening. A light breeze was coming from the center, ruffling his hair.

"We have to go through _that_?" he whispered to Ivan, who was standing next to him. The normally unflappable knight of Zandar swallowed nervously in response.

Chase looked at Tyler with a shaky smile. "You first, mate," he told the team leader.

Tyler Navarro looked over at his father. James gave him an encouraging nod. Philip watched him step up to the portal, shivering as the breeze intensified. Tyler took a deep breath. "It's about to get wild," he grinned…and stepped through the circle. His red vest disappeared into the blue and purple swirling vortex...and then there was nothing.

"Tyler?" Shelby called, but didn't receive an answer. "I'm starting to think this was a really bad idea," she muttered. Hesitantly, she and Riley walked up to the portal…and then through. One by one, the others followed, until Philip and Kendall were left.

"I get this strange sense of déjà vu," Kendall said quietly. "You've got a country to look after. We can't ask you to do this. If something goes wrong…" She frowned. "I didn't want to say anything in front of the others, especially Riley, but if something goes wrong…"

"We will cease to exist," Philip said knowingly. "And a fate worse than Sledge might happen to this planet." He reached over, took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "And yet, Miss Morgan, we have the chance to put things right. To defeat Sledge and Fury once and for all. At the very least, I owe it to Ivan to destroy Fury. His duty was to protect my family. It's the least I could do in thanks."

"You're a good man, Your Highness," Kendall told him.

Philip ducked his head. "Remind me of that if we make it out of this," he directed her.

The two of them walked through the portal.


	33. Chapter 33

Philip went from a darkened room bathed in red light to another room, cold steel, and dark. It took his eyes a few seconds to adjust to the difference in lighting. The hair on his neck stood up. Around him, in the dim light, he could hear disturbing noises. Growling. Hissing. Low voices threatening with words he couldn't understand. From somewhere around him he heard a dull noise, like an engine running.

 _Where the hell am I_? "James?" he whispered, hoping that the Aqua Ranger was somewhere close.

Something heavy landed on his shoulder and he yelped. He turned around.

A pair of glowing green eyes stared at him in the low light. "Another inmate?" the thing hissed, and Philip's eyes went wide as he pulled away from _whatever_ it was. He stumbled across the floor, where something else grabbed him from behind.

There was a clunk of metal, and the lights came on. "Prince Philip!" Zenowing's voice called as the lights flickered to life. Philip jerked away from whatever had grabbed him and turned around. His eyes went wide as he stared at a hellish looking monster, grinning evilly at him from behind bars. "Whoa!" he gasped. He looked down the row. Cells lined either side of the metal floor, _full_ of monsters and creatures and aliens of all species. He took off at a run, meeting Zenowing halfway down the room. The Silver Ranger pulled him along until they were both through a door and out into a corridor. Philip leaned against the wall, breathing heavily.

"Are you all right?" Zenowing asked him.

Philip swallowed. "What _were_ all those things?" he breathed.

"Sledge is a bounty hunter. That was just a sampling of his handiwork," Zenowing explained. He looked around. "We must have gotten split from the others going through the portal. We should find them."

"And preferably not have another repeat of _that_ ," Philip swallowed. Then, he paused. "Wait. Sledge's handiwork. So we're…" He stopped in the middle of the corridor, the pieces falling into place.

"On Sledge's ship," Zenowing confirmed. "Orbiting your planet. Sixty-five million years ago."

Philip spotted something behind Zenowing, and he walked cautiously across the floor, peering out the window. Down below, a bright ball of green and blue with swirling clouds zipped by. "Oh, my God," Philip whispered. "No cities. No people. There's nothing down there…" He looked at Zenowing. "Just the dinosaurs." He couldn't help the grin on his face. "There's _dinosaurs_ down there!" He ran a hand over his face in awe. "Did the others…are we all up here? Or…" He pointed down at Earth.

Zenowing shook his head. "I don't know."

Philip couldn't tear his eyes away from the planet rotating below them. "Oh." He took a breath and let it out slowly. "Right. Okay." He straightened. "We need to get in contact with the others. Do you know anything about this ship?"

Zenowing nodded. "Familiar enough with this junk heap to know that the bridge is in this direction." He started down the corridor again, and Philip did his best to keep up with the taller alien's longer strides. His fingers itched for his Energem.

After what seemed like hours of searching, Philip and Zenowing caught up with the Navarros hiding in a cargo bay. Tyler and James had been trying to use their communication devices to reach the others, but as it was millions of years before Kendall would have had the chance to create their comms, nothing was working.

"Then we need to get down there, somehow," Tyler said, pacing the floor quietly. "There's no sign of anyone else on this ship. They must all be down there, right?"

"You didn't look hard enough," Heckyl's voice spoke up dryly, startling the other four. He stepped into the room from a sliding door, Kendall Morgan on his heels. "And it's going to be harder to get down there than you think."

"You've been on this ship before," James said. "Is there a way to…I dunno…beam us down there?"

Heckyl nodded. "Of course there is. But the controls for that are on the bridge. And the bridge just so happens to be where Snide and a few of Sledge's cronies are hanging out. Plus a ton of Vivix."

"So we fight our way onto the bridge," Tyler said. "Get to Keeper on Earth before Sledge finds him."

"Okay but there's some things we need to keep in mind," Kendall interrupted the war council. She ticked them off her fingers. "One. The Energems need to end up with the dinosaurs. Otherwise, no Koda, no Ivan…"

Philip swallowed. The last thing he wanted to do was interfere with history-especially not history that coincided with his country's in such a tangled and complicated way!

"Two," Kendall was continuing, "Sledge's asteroids still need to hit the Earth." She looked around the circle. "Because I do _not_ want to be running a dinosaur _zoo_ in the future."

"Not to mention the havoc it could play with your planet's evolution and biology," Zenowing pointed out helpfully.

Tyler took a breath and let it out. "Oookay." He looked at her. "Any ideas, Miss Morgan?" he asked her. He looked at his father. "This is a little outta my area of expertise."

"What if we still destroy Sledge, and remove that threat," James offered. "And somehow…crash the ship?"

"I'm hoping you mean without us being on it," Philip cut in.

"And without destroying the others," Zenowing added.

"Plus," Heckyl said, "Not everyone on this ship necessarily deserves a fiery death," he said. "It would be like destroying one of your Earth prisons. Sure you'd get the really bad guys, but the people in there on minor charges or mistakes wouldn't be spared."

Tyler was deep in thought. Philip watched the Red Ranger as he paced the short length of the corridor. Then, he looked up. "Okay. Here's what we'll do." He turned to Heckyl. "Can you run the beam thing that makes the monsters grow and drops them on the surface?"

Heckyl nodded, and Tyler rubbed his hands together. "Okay. So I'll beam down, find the others. We'll make sure the Energems get to the dinosaurs without Sledge getting them first."

"Don't forget, Fury's down there as well," Philip reminded him.

"Sledge _and_ Fury then," Tyler corrected himself. "We'll get rid of Sledge and Fury. You guys sneak on the bridge, keep them from being able to beam back up or grow, since we don't have our Zords."

There was a hint of excitement in his voice-typical of their leader, Philip thought, as Tyler continued, "You guys can release the tractor beams with the asteroids. The ship'll still be in orbit, the asteroids will drop and-"

"We'll all be stuck on the planet and have to learn to evolve into _homo sapien_?" James raised an eyebrow.

Tyler shook his head and grinned. "No. Because before Keeper gives the Energems to the dinosaurs, he can use them to open a portal and send us back to the future." He frowned. "That sounds _so_ weird when I say it out loud."

"And yet strangely, it makes sense," Kendall said. She looked around at the group. "This just might work."

Just then, there was a growl, and the group whipped around to see a group of Vivix headed their direction. "Too late for a Plan B," James said. He looked at his son. "Tyler. Be careful."

Tyler nodded seriously. "Always," he said. He looked at Zenowing. "Lead the way," he told him. The two of them took off down a side hall.

Philip looked at the incoming Vivix. "Fight or flight?" he asked.

"No time to fight," Kendall said.

"Allow me to lead the strategic retreat," Heckyl suggested, pulling Kendall through a door. Philip was the last through, leaping through as Heckyl closed the thick metal door. Outside the door, they could hear banging as the Vivix tried to get through.

"Where to?" James asked, glancing around. Heckyl glanced around the room. "If my bearings are correct, the bridge should be-"

A door on the other side of the room opened. Vivix poured in, followed by Sledge's girlfriend, Poisandra, and Sledge's henchman, Wrench.

"I'd say we found it," Kendall said dryly.

"More like they found us," Philip pointed out, holding his fists up in front of him.

"Let's stage a mutiny," James suggested, rolling up the sleeves on his hoodie. The Aqua and Purple rangers attacked, throwing themselves at Wrench and Poisandra. James dropped Wrench with a kick to the chest, sending the smaller silver henchman toppling to the floor. Kendall dodged away from Posandra, pushing her into an open bay and locking the door between them. Philip ducked under a punch from one of the Vivix and threw an elbow into the base of its neck. He glanced around, searching for the console that controlled the Magna Beam. All the commands were written in strange, alien script. _Of course it couldn't be as easy as "ENTER" or something_ , he thought, dodging sideways as a Vivix pounded the console where his head had just been. "Heckyl!" he yelled. "I could use some help here!"

Heckyl used the blue energy from his hands and blasted the Vivix that was hassling Philip out of the way, then came over to join him. He scanned the console frantically as Philip held off the green-haired aliens trying to pull Heckyl away. "Come on…it's somewhere….it's right… _here_!" He shook his head. "Here's hoping Tyler and Zenowing made it to the platform," he said, and pushed the button. Outside the main viewing window, there was a burst of green light that Philip could only hope was sending Tyler to the planet's surface. "That was step one," he reminded Heckyl. "Now we need to release the tractor beam."

"And pray there's enough time to get down to Earth and off again before they hit," Heckyl muttered, his fingers floating over the buttons. "I have no idea how to…oh, to hell with it." He raised his hand, palm out. "Kendall, everyone else! Get to the escape pods." He looked at Philip. "You too, Prince."

"And leave you unprotected?" Philip glanced around. Poisandra and Wrench were down for the count thanks to James and Kendall, but Vivix were still swarming the ship. "I can't do that, Heckyl."

Heckyl thrust a hand out, shoving Philip backwards. He kept his hand raised. "Yes, you can. I'll meet you there. Go!"

He turned away, his blue energy crackling in his fingertips, until it lanced out and sent sparks and smoke flying from the console. Red emergency lights came on and alarms began blaring. "Two lefts and two rights down the corridor!" Heckyl yelled at them. "Go!"

James grabbed Philip by the suit jacket and thrust him forward. "Come on, we've got to move." The Graphite Ranger followed the Aqua and Purple Rangers out in the corridor as panicked Vivix ran around, some trying to stop them, some running for the same escape pods. _Left….another left…_ Philip replayed Heckyl's directions in his head as they ran through the chaos. He hoped that Tyler and Zenowing had made it down to the surface, that they could all make it home before….

 _Right!_ He skidded to a stop in front of a set of doors with a large red button. "Let's go!" Kendall said, hitting the button as the doors slid back, revealing a small pod with a bench seat and windows. Philip ran in, kicking a Vivix back into its buddies as James slid in beside him and Kendall reached for the button to close the doors. "We can't go without Heckyl!" Philip protested.

"I'm here!" Heckyl slid in just as the doors closed behind him, breathing heavily. Philip felt the weightlessness as the pod detached and started hurtling toward Earth.

* * *

The ride back to the planet's surface seemed to take ages. Any other time, Philip would have been in awe over the fact that he was in _space_ , but there was so much on his mind that he barely noticed it. The pod slowed as it entered the atmosphere, then landed with a jolt on the surface. Kendall released the doors, and the four of them stepped out into yet _another_ battle.

The pod had landed them with almost eerie precision right on top of the rest of the Rangers battling Sledge and Fury. Philip surveyed the scene. Tyler, Shelby, Riley, Chase and Koda were taking on Sledge, who was firing on them with some kind of arm cannon. Zenowing was teamed up with Keeper, and the two of them were taking on a small pod of Vivix.

Philip did a head count. _Where is…._ He looked around, and spotted Ivan. The knight was going one-on-one with Fury. As James, Kendall and Heckyl rushed to join the others, Philip sprinted over to Ivan. "You made it!" Ivan said between dodging a swipe from Fury's claws.

"Just in time, it appears," Philip agreed. "Sir Ivan…may I assist you in defeating this fiend?"

Ivan grinned and gave him a short bow. "It would by my honor to fight alongside you, Your Highness," he replied.

The two Zandarians stood defensively as Fury eyed them like the predator he was. "You know my moves," Fury accused Ivan, sounding more curious than anything.

Ivan smirked. "We've fought before." The lion howled and attacked the two of them. Philip threw his arms up in a block as Fury's staff came down toward his head. He pushed back, sending Fury into Ivan. The knight pummeled the lion with a lightning-fast series of kicks and punches. Philip joined in, the lion almost like a pinball between the two of them, getting knocked around.

"Enough of this!" Fury roared.

"Couldn't agree more," Philip responded. In his mind, Fury was just the ridiculous G-BO robot again. Philip grabbed Fury by the fur and pulled him backwards, like he'd done with the robot, holding him in place as Ivan stepped forward, yanking the staff out of Fury's hands. "800 years," Ivan told him as Philip struggled to hold him in place. "You tormented me for 800 years." His dark eyes flashed. "And now I shall destroy you here."

"Ivan, wait." Philip had a sudden realization. "You've got to let him go."


	34. Chapter 34

**CHAPTER 34**

The knight of Zandar's eyes never left Fury's face. " _What?"_ he asked.

Philip glanced skyward. "In a few moments, Sledge's asteroids will hit the planet." He glared at the struggling lion in his grip. "Let him try to survive that."

"Your Highness-"

"Ivan, _please_." Philip adjusted his grip on Fury a little tighter. "Sir Ivan of Zandar was my childhood hero. A brave warrior who did good deeds." He nodded to Fury. "As much as you want revenge…"

Ivan's body shook. Philip could see the rage on his face, torn between doing what Philip was asking, and doing what he wanted. "I know what I'm asking you to do is difficult," Philip tried, struggling to keep Fury incapacitated. "If it were me-"

His eyes widened as Ivan's foot came flying toward his face, and he let go of Fury in surprise.

But Fury didn't run off. Instead…the lion slumped to the ground as Philip staggered backwards out of the way. He looked up at Ivan, whose fists were clenched as he stood over the lion monster.

"Hopefully history will not repeat itself," Ivan ground out.

"Come on, guys!" Tyler's voice yelled at them over the action. He pointed up. "We're running out of time!" Philip and Ivan left Fury lying in the grass and ran to join the group. Sledge was facing them.

"Who _are_ you?" Sledge roared at them.

Tyler looked down the line at his team. "We're the Power Rangers!" he told Sledge.

Sledge cocked his head sideways. "Is that supposed to mean something to me?"

Tyler looked to his left and right as everyone came running to stand beside him. "No. Not yet." Then he grinned. "But it's going to."

"I don't like head games," Sledge informed them. "I don't know what you creatures are…but you're going to know me!" He raised his head to the sky. "Magna Beam!"

Philip grinned, waiting. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw James give him a wink.

Sledge, for his part, looked suitably confused. "What's going on?"

"We're one step ahead of you," Kendall said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Your ship's up there…and your asteroids are on their way down!" James added.

"Enjoy extinction," Chase smirked.

"And it's time for us to get out of here!" Shelby noted, pointing skyward. Above them, bright, falling objects were just breaking through the clouds. She turned to Riley. "Did you guys and Keeper-"

"Already done!" Riley confirmed as he and Koda came running toward the group. Koda had something in his arms. Keeper was running with them, his staff and something else in his hands. As he ran past, he used his staff to vault over Sledge and lashed out, knocking Sledge to the ground. The alien bounty hunter toppled end over end, kicking up dirt as he went. "Nooo!" he howled.

"Let's go!" Zenowing urged, and the group took off for the trees as one of the asteroids slammed into the field nearby, the shockwave sending them all running for cover. The shockwave knocked Sledge over again, and he howled.

As they ran, Koda tossed something back at Sledge. "Catch!" he called to him, before Riley pulled him into cover.

A moment later, there was an artificial sounding explosion.

"Monster extinct," Tyler said wryly, stopping to catch his breath. Another asteroid crashed nearby and Philip struggled to stay on his feet.

"I can't thank you enough," Keeper told them. He looked at each of them in turn. "You really _are_ Rangers."

"Well, not yet," Shelby grinned.

"I can think of a way," Tyler suggested. "Like a way out of here?"

Riley reached into his jeans pockets, depositing the gems into Keeper's hand. Keeper lifted them in the air, forming the circle that had created the time travel portal. Another asteroid hit. The group struggled to stay standing, but amazingly, the circle kept its shape.

"We're running out of time!" Ivan said.

"This can return you to your time," Keeper told them. "Or any time you wish."

"I think we know when we're going-" James started, but stopped midsentence as Koda stepped forward. "I go home? See my little brother?"

For a moment, everyone seemed to forget that there was an extinction-level event happening around them. Philip looked over at Shelby and Kendall. Both of them had tears in their eyes. Even Chase was tearing up a little. "Koda…" Kendall said. "A-are you sure? We'll miss you. You have a place with us."

Koda smiled, gathering everyone up in a giant bear hug. After a moment, Zenowing, Philip and James joined in. "My place with Taku. With…my family."

He caught Philip's eye and Philip smiled at him, clapping him on the back. "I'll miss you, my friend," he assured Koda. "Thank you, for making me see that worth doesn't come from your status. It comes from your heart. I am a changed man because of you."

Koda grinned. "No more mean Prince." He gave Philip a hug. "Prince have good heart now." He looked around at the others. "You also my family. I not forget you," he promised them. "Thank you for big adventure."

Then, with one final wave, he disappeared into the blue-silver swirl.

Ivan stepped forward next. "I also must go," he said. "Back to my _rightful_ place in history."

Philip's jaw dropped. "Ivan, I-you-"

Ivan held up a hand. "My Prince," he cut in. "It has been an honor to fight by your side. But I cannot go back with you. My place is in Zandar."

Philip knew in his heart it was the truth, but he didn't want to admit it. "Sir Ivan, you…you were my first hero. Your bravery…I wanted to be just like you." He shook his head. "What becomes of me if your place in history changes?"

"Perhaps, I will do something with my new history worthy of your adoration, Sire." Ivan told him. "There are many monsters to slay…a gem to protect." He smiled. "I look forward to the adventure."

He placed a hand to his chest and bowed low. For the final time, Philip made the 'rise' gesture with his hand, and then wrapped the knight of Zandar in a hug. "Farewell, Sir Ivan," he told him, as Ivan retreated into the portal.

An asteroid rocked the trees nearby. "We gotta go!" Riley yelled. "Or the dinosaurs won't be the only fossils they uncover in a few million years!"

"Yeah but what about-" Shelby turned to Heckyl.

Heckyl shook his head. "It's okay," he said. "This is where I belong."

Shelby narrowed her eyes at him and poked him in the chest. "Knock it off with the 'woe is me' act," she commanded. "If there wasn't any good in you, you'd have never helped us get on Sledge's ship, you'd have never helped us with Badussa. Give it a rest. You deserve something good just like the rest of us!"

"The Dark Energem made me this way," Heckyl argued.

"What if it didn't?" Zenowing questioned. He looked at Keeper. "What if Heckyl took it back to his planet? Made sure it didn't fall into the wrong hands. He'd be helping prevent all this in the future…and he'd still be good."

Heckyl's sneer faded. "I…I could do that? Protect my planet?"

Keeper nodded.

Another asteroid landed, too close for comfort. "This is it!" Philip yelled. "It's now or never!"

To everyone's surprise, Kendall stepped forward, giving Heckyl a peck on the cheek. "This is your destiny to change," she told him. "Go."

"Speaking of, come on!" Chase yelled from near the portal. "If I die in the past, Chloe'll kill me."

Riley eyed Chase. "I…" He opened his mouth, then shook his head. "Come on, guys!"

"Until we meet again," Keeper told the group. He smiled. "I look forward to it."

Tyler, holding Shelby's hand, led the group through the portal.

One moment, Philip was in a forest…the next, he found himself sitting in the backseat of his limousine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before you type that comment...let me see if I can guess what your comment might be. :D  
> "Your ending was too fast."  
> In my defense I'm pretty sure it was longer than the show's.
> 
> "But what about this and this and time travel and altering times and-"  
> Um...you did see the actual finale of this show, right? I did the best I could.
> 
> "There was too much Philip. That didn't happen in the show."  
> Accurate. But this is a Philip-centric story.
> 
> "You're stalling because you don't know how it's gonna end."  
> You're absolutely right ;), but I guarantee you it isn't gonna end with a dinosaur zoo and an alternate universe!


	35. Chapter 35

Philip blinked several times. He didn't remember getting in the vehicle…nor could he remember why he was holding the Stone of Zandar in his hand; the gem seeming to glow liquid gold on its own accord. He looked out the window. _This is not Zandar…_

California. He was in California. That was important, somehow, he knew. Then, it came back to him. He was here, retrieving the stone from the Amber Beach museum. He must have fallen asleep on the ride.

The Stone of Zandar. He recalled his father telling him the stories, of Sir Ivan, who disappeared in battle with a ferocious beast with the body of a lion but walked like a man. How he saved Prince Colin, Philip's ancestor, and the golden stone that became one of Zandar's most priceless treasures.

It was a myth, of course. No two-legged lion monsters had ever been seen in Zandar, let alone anywhere else in Europe. And yet…Philip leaned back in the seat. He had always felt it was true.

Something hit the back of the limo hard enough to send Philip rocking. He was thankful for the lap belt holding him in place. Outside the limo screeched to a halt, throwing gravel, and he heard his security team get out, someone yelling, "Protect the Prince!"

 _Protect me from…what?_ he wondered. Outside, he heard gunfire. "There's too many!" someone was yelling, before being cut off with a garbled yell.

Armor plating or not, Philip knew the backseat was not the safest place for him to be. And rather than be a sitting duck…he looked at the gem in his hands. _It falls to me to protect this stone,_ he thought to himself. He climbed out of the backseat, looking at the fallen forms of his security team. "Good heavens," he breathed, and looked around for a safe place to retreat.

Something grabbed him from behind and Philip's eyes widened at the sight of a seven- or eight-foot tall beast. A beast that walked like a man…with the head of a lion. It roared at him, "Give me the Energem!"

 _The Energem…does he mean the stone?_ Something in the back of Philip's mind clicked into place. The tall beast…attacking him for the stone that was safely in his pocket… _No._ "Impossible!" he gasped, too shocked to struggle to try to escape. "It was _you_!" Philip realized. "You're the great beast that fought Sir Ivan 800 years ago!"

"And you're just some pathetic Prince!" the beast growled back. "Give me that gem!"

"Don't!" A blur of blue came flying past Philip, careening into the beast, who let go of the prince's arm. Philip staggered away as the beast rocked the limo, nearly tipping it onto its side. Philip gasped, watching the young man, whom he recognized from the museum, rail on the beast with a flurry of kicks and punches and acrobatics that put every performer Philip had ever seen to shame.

"Hang on Koda!" someone else yelled, and Philip turned to look down the road as a group of young people climbed out of a red Jeep and came running toward them. "Hey, that's-" the one in front, a young man in a red raglan t-shirt and cargo shorts, stopped short, the rest nearly running into him.

"That's the thing that tried to take the Energems from us in the woods that day!" the girl next to him in a pink hoodie gasped.

"It's back?" a boy in a green cardigan gasped.

"It must be after the Gold Energem!" added a boy in black with a backwards baseball cap.

Philip recognized them all from the museum. _What were they doing here? Surely they don't mean to take on-_

He found himself rising from his spot in the ditch and coming to join them. "I want to help," he told them.

"Feel like you've kinda done plenty today," the girl in pink pointed out.

"I made some mistakes. You don't understand, this gem is…" Philip pulled the gem from his pocket, holding it up in front of them "It belongs to a hero of my country. I have to protect it-whatever it takes!" Philip pleaded.

The boy in red looked at him, sizing him up. "Keep that thing safe," he said finally, nodding to the gem. "Protect _that_ and we'll protect you," he told him.

Philip nodded. The man in blue from earlier came up and grabbed his arm, pulling him out of the way. The others stepped forward, forming a protective circle around Philip and the person in blue. "Unleash the Power!" the boy in red yelled. Philip covered his eyes as there was a burst of colored light. When he put his arm down, standing in front of him were four uniformed warriors in helmets and boots. _Like the knights of old…without the chain mail_ , he thought to himself. "Here I thought…the gem was in the hands of some careless buffoons…"

The guy in blue grinned. "Things not always what they seem," he offered in broken English. Philip nodded, his eyes wide.

The four warriors took on the lion beast, and appeared to be winning. Philip watched the monster intently. "What's _that_?" he asked, pointing. The monster's chest was _glowing_. Something pulsated from it, an unidentifiable form. Then…the light exploded, sending the four warriors and the monster sprawling. When the light cleared, there was another person, standing between the monster and the group from the museum. A young man, with a close-shaven haircut, wearing the crest of Zandar on his chest.

Philip's jaw dropped for the second time that day. "No. It can't be." But he knew that face, that look of determination. It had been in the picture books his father had shown him, in the myths and legend stories, in the paintings on the castle walls. "Sir _Ivan_?!"

Before Ivan could get his revenge on the beast, however, Fury disappeared into the forest off to the side of the road. The young knight watched him go, then turned to look at the group. His eyes fell on Prince Philip and he dropped to one knee. "Sire." He ducked his head in a bow. "I am at your service."

"Do you _know_ me?" Philip stammered. His childhood hero knelt before him, flesh and blood. It seemed a lot of strange things were happening on this day. And yet somehow…Philip looked at Ivan, and made a sharp 'rise' gesture with his hand, regaining his royal composure. He looked around at the group, who had gathered in a small circle.

"Anybody else feel like we've done this before?" the boy in green asked.

"Riley, mate, only like every week," the boy in black countered.

"No, he's right, Chase," the boy in red argued. He looked around. "This is…like it's meant to be. Like we're supposed to be…" He looked at Philip. "Ah, sorry." He stuck a hand out. "I'm Tyler. This is Shelby, Riley, Chase, and Koda," he introduced them, nodding with the last name at the shaggy-haired person in blue by Philip. "We should explain." He pulled out a red gem on a cord from his shirt, identical to the gold gem Philip held in his hand, but red. "These gems…they're not just any gemstone."

"Energem," Philip recalled the lion beast saying. "And they…do they allow you to…to do _that_?" He mimicked their fight from earlier.

The girl, Shelby, grinned. "And a lot more," she smiled. "There's other gems left out there. A Purple, Aqua, Silver and the Graphite Energem. It's sort of our…mission…to find them all."

"A noble cause, indeed," Ivan noted. He looked at the Prince. "Sire, might I-"

Philip held up a hand, and Ivan quieted. "I have seen a _lot_ today," he noted. "From people impersonating myself and my wife, to a mythical beast that is apparently _not_ a legend, to the reappearance of my childhood hero, a legend in himself," he said. He looked at the group. "And while I find it all very hard to digest, something tells me…" He met Ivan's eyes. "I have made a grave mistake in coming here to belittle you and take the stone back. Indeed, I see no other hands it would be safer in, and I am sorry for my outburst at the museum. Something tells me there is no greater cause than this, and I would be remiss to take this stone away from here."

"Spoken like a guy who could use his own Energem," Riley grinned.

"Ah," Philip nodded politely to him, "but this one-" He held up the gold gem in his hand. "This one belongs to Sir Ivan. I command you to use it in your quest to find the remaining gems, and defeat the monster that has plagued you for 800 years."

Ivan bowed low. "A worthy commission, indeed, Sire," he thanked him, "but what about you?"

Philip smiled at him. "Oh…I have a feeling that our paths will cross again. But first, there are a few things I need to do back in Zandar. And you would be difficult to explain, good sir." He held out a hand to Tyler. "Should you ever need anything in your quest, don't hesitate to contact me."

"Awesome," Tyler proclaimed, shaking his hand.

"He's really not a half-bad guy," Chase whispered to Koda. Philip caught his eye and raised an eyebrow; Chase ducked his head in embarrassment.

"Good prince," Koda said with a happy smile, clapping Philip on the shoulder. Philip winced.

"Actually…." Shelby raised her hand awkwardly. "There might be something you could do for us. It's easy for us to look for gems here, but since you're on the other side of the world…" She looked at Tyler. "Maybe he could also check for the other gems in Europe. He's gotta have connections…" She looked at Philip hopefully. "Right?"

Philip grinned. "Indeed, I can think of a few," he told her with a nod. "I would be honored to join your quest. That monster Fury is still out there, which means we have gems and comrades to find."

* * *

_Zandar_

Philip stepped off the helicopter and onto the manicured lawn of the castle grounds. Margaret was waiting for him, along with Martin, his head of security, who looked like he was about to explode. Philip held up a hand and just shook his head. "I know, Martin," he told him. "I'm sorry. I promise I won't run off like that again, half-cocked. It's a bad habit. One I'm trying to rectify."

Before Martin could make a comeback, Philip had stepped into the castle. He knocked on the door of his and Annabeth's bedroom before stepping inside. His wife was sitting in a chair next to the window, legs propped on the bed, reading some fashion magazine. "We need to talk," he told her. He sat down on the bed. When she didn't look up from her pages, he plucked it from her hand and tossed it on the bed.

"Hey!" Annabeth protested. "You-"

"For once in our marriage, you get to listen to me," Philip told her, throwing just a hint of his father into his voice. "Your behavior is appalling. Blowing off a visit to the children's hospital to go shopping is embarrassing as well as a bit appalling. Using taxpayer money on designer jeans is ridiculous. And…" He held up a hand as she started to protest. "And I am afraid that I'm probably the cause of it. We started this relationship off well enough. You were my rock and my support when my mother's health declined and she passed away." He sank down on the bed, rubbing his hands over his face. "And after that, I threw myself into work and I buried myself in budget paperwork, and I never stopped to consider that I was perhaps pushing you away in my quest to be a good ruler." He looked at her, impulsively reached over and took Annabeth's hand. "I'm sorry. I've been selfish. I want to do better. To be a better person. For both our sakes'."

He took a breath and let it out. "There. I've said my piece."

There was silence in the room. Annabeth was silent, and Philip was sure he'd overstepped. He got up off the bed, and Annabeth's grip tightened on his hand, pulling him back down. "That was a hell of a speech," she said quietly. She bit her bottom lip, and came to sit by him on the bed. "Perhaps…perhaps we should give the hospital a call tomorrow? To…reschedule?"

He smiled. "I'd like that," he said. "I'm told my father was quiet the storyteller when he would go." He grinned, thinking.

"I think I have a few stories of my own to tell."

* * *

 _2 Years Later…  
October 31_ _st_ __  
Amber Beach

Philip waited until no one was watching, then ducked around the T-Rex skeleton and pushed through the delivery doors on the back wall. He took the elevator down to the basement of the Amber Beach Dinosaur Museum, and pressed the door release. The doors slid back.

"I came as soon as I could," he announced as his feet stepped into the command center of the Power Rangers. He'd startled Kendall Morgan, the museum director and Purple Ranger, James Navarro, archaeologist and Aqua Ranger, and Sir Ivan, Gold Ranger.

Ivan pressed a hand to his chest and bowed low. "It is an honor, Sire, to see you again."

Philip nodded to him. "And you three, as well. What is the plan?"

Kendall grinned. "It's gonna be a real _treat_ ," she informed him. "Sorry to pull you away from your Halloween plans with your family."

Philip shrugged. "As Koda once put it, this is also my family. Though I had hoped with the defeat of Fury this would all be over."

"Apparently, someone disagrees," James said. "And speaking of family, I'd like to go find my son."

"Indeed," Ivan agreed.

Kendall outlined the plan to the three men. Philip exchanged a look with James. "Sounds like fun. Let's do this," Philip said. He walked over to the stalactites on the wall, and plucked the Graphite Energem from it's spot. The pencil lead-colored gem glittered in the light, and hummed under his fingers.

 _Good to see you again, too_ , Philip thought.

The Museum was closed for the evening, but the building was far from empty.

Philip held a plastic cup of something orange-colored in his hand (laced with something else that James had refused to tell him what it was) and looked around the main hall. Chase Randall, dressed as a classic vampire, was dancing to the song over the speakers with his girlfriend, Kaylee, dressed as Morticia Addams (whom Chase had to explain to Philip). Riley Griffin and his brother, Matt, dressed as Sherlock Holmes and Watson, were chatting in the corner with Kendall (Shakespeare) and Shelby (a pirate). Tyler Navarro, dressed as a matador, snuck up behind Shelby and kissed her on the cheek.

Near a model of a ankylosaurus, James Navarro (as a policeman) and Koda (a samurai), were engaged in a furious pumpkin carving contest. James's looked more classic, from what Philip could see, and Koda's…He frowned. _Is that a mammoth?_

"Daddy!"

Philip jumped as something bumped into his knees, and he grinned as he looked down to see a tiny T-rex pawing at his tall black boots. He bent down and swept the T-Rex into his arms. "Hello, Thomas," he greeted his son, poking the dinosaur on the nose. "Are you enjoying Halloween in America?"

"Candy!" Thomas announced, his face stained with chocolate frosting. He reached up and pulled down Philip's black eye mask to his nose with chocolate-tinged fingers. Philip frowned and looked over at the table set up inside the Dino Bite Café, to where Sir Ivan (a scarecrow) was standing, looking appropriately guilty next to a stack of cupcakes.

"Please tell me Ivan's putting him to bed tonight?" Annabeth asked Philip, coming up to them in a flowing red dress, a ring of flowers in her blonde hair.

"He's a knight of Zandar," Philip reminded her. "He has to do what I say!" He said the last part loud enough for Ivan to hear. The knight hustled over to talk to James and Koda, making himself scarce.

"This is amazing. I'm so glad Thomas and I could come with you," Annabeth told him. She glanced around the room. "Your friends are wonderful."

"They are indeed," Philip replied, pulling Annabeth closer to him and kissing the top of her head. Thomas reached up and swiped her face with his little soft-clawed fingers. "I'm glad the two of you could come along as well. I'm sorry I missed the museum tour with you two, I got lost coming back from the bathroom!"

"Of course you did," Annabeth rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. "My forgetful Man in Black."

He raised an eyebrow. "And how much from the museum gift shop went on the gold card today?" he countered. "Princess?"

She blushed, but then nodded at Thomas. "You have to admit, my purchase was right on the nose," she pointed out.

Philip burst out laughing. "I cannot argue with that," he said. He looked around the room, at his friends and teammates, and to his wife and son. "Looks like they all lived happily ever after."

Thomas responded with a two-year-old T-Rex growl.


End file.
